This excerpt is from a 1912 speech by theodore roosevelt th - GED Prep

Question

This excerpt is from a 1912 speech by Theodore Roosevelt.

The great fundamental issue now before... our people can be stated briefly. It is, are the American people fit to govern themselves, to rule themselves, to control themselves? I believe they are. . . . I believe the majority of the plain people of the United States will... make fewer mistakes in governing themselves than any smaller class or body of men, no matter what their training, will make in trying to govern them. I believe... that the American people are... capable of self-control, and of learning by their mistakes.... Friends, our task as Americans is to strive for... justice, achieved through the genuine rule of the people.

This excerpt is from U.S. President William H. Taft's 1911 veto message regarding a House resolution calling for statehood for New Mexico and Arizona.

It is said you can always trust the people to do justice... and the maxim is interpreted to mean that you can always trust a majority of the people. This is not invariably true; and every limitation imposed by the people upon the power of the majority in the constitutions is an admission that it is not always true.... [T]he unbridled expression of the majority... converted hastily into law or action would sometimes make a government tyrannical and cruel. Constitutions are checks upon the hasty action of the majority. They are the self-imposed restraints of a whole people upon a majority of them to secure sober action and a respect for the rights of the minority.

 

What basic assumption is behind Roosevelt's speech that is not behind Taft's veto message?

Answers
  1. correct
Explanation

The basic assumption behind Roosevelt's speech that is not behind Taft's veto message is (b) Majority rule will produce rational decisions.

Theodore Roosevelt's speech emphasizes his belief in the ability of the majority of the American people to govern them wisely. He asserts that the collective judgment of the people will lead to fewer mistakes than if a select class or body were in control. Roosevelt places his trust in the democratic process and the ability of the majority to learn from their mistakes, leading to rational decision-making.

On the other hand, William H. Taft's veto message highlights the potential flaws of majority rule, suggesting that a majority can sometimes act unjustly or hastily. Taft champions the role of constitutions as necessary checks to prevent the majority from imposing tyrannical or cruel laws, indicating his concern that majority rule does not always protect minority rights or lead to rational decisions.

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