"I'm not really concerned (at the moment) with the mechanics of implementing a system but with the choice of underlying principle."

Yes, the choice of underlying principle is very important. I think a great many nations and constitutions have been founded upon extremely visionary and idealistic underlying principles...specially following revolutions. Idealists launch revolutions.

Pragmatists and bureaucrats and various powermongers often seem to take over in short order, however.

Perhaps that's because the idealists get in the way of various ambitious people.

Can a majority be wrong? Definitely. Majorities have frequently been wrong. Does that mean that we are better off ruled by a minority? Not necessarily, because minorities are frequently wrong too!

Like I said, it's not a perfect world. We makes mistakes, and as time goes by we learn from them.

In the 30's and 40's, for instance, Germany and Italy and Japan set out on some very aggressive empire-building and warmaking around various regions of the world. For awhile it worked well for them, but in the end it proved to be a huge mistake.

I think the USA is presently making a similarly huge mistake in regards to its so-called "War on Terror", but they have not yet reaped the full consequences of their errors.