Final answer:
The democratic principle that a government follows the preferences of the majority while protecting minority interests is Majority Rule/Minority Rights. In a democracy, this principle ensures that majoritarian power respects and safeguards minority protections, despite the historical tendencies of suppression by the majority.
Step-by-step explanation:
The principle that a government follows the preferences of the majority of voters but also protects the interests of the minority is known as Majority Rule/Minority Rights. This concept is a fundamental principle of democracy, endorsing that while the majority has the power to make decisions binding upon the whole, it is equally important to safeguard the protections for those who are not part of the majority. In a democratic government, all citizens are supposed to have equal access to power, and universally recognized freedoms and liberties are protected for all. However, history has shown that the majority can sometimes use their electoral power to enact policies that might suppress the opportunities and civil rights of minority groups, thereby ensuring their ongoing dominance.
According to the pluralist theory of government, government policy is shaped because of the competition between groups with different goals and interests, rather than what the majority of voters want it to do directly. In the United States, a representative democracy or republic, the democratic system favors majority rule, but it is the elected representatives who pass laws and make decisions on behalf of the people, including those in the minority.