Civil Disobedience

          Thoreau's view on civil disobedience raises the question,  "can civil disobedience be compatible with democratic government?"  I would answer yes, but only to an extent.
          Civil disobedience is at odds with the democratic government because of the tension that goes along with the tyranny of the majority.  Democracy only works when a community is able to pass laws with the understanding that all will abide by what the majority desires.  Thoreau states that no person should have to compromise or tolerate a policy he did not want.  But can this really work for all of society? Would society fall apart under this idea?
         Civil disobedience has potential to be compatible with the democratic government because Thoreau is not suggesting that people simply deny the existence of unjust laws.  Rather, he says that protesters will probably have to pay for the consequences of their actions, forcing society to make decisions about having just people in jail.  Thoreau seems to accept the legal authority of unjust laws, but does not seem to recognize the moral authority of unjust laws.  This is why he encourages people to violate them.  This approach can turn dangerous if many communities adopt it, and it raises the question of why democratic institutions have the ability to produce laws that violate democratic principles.