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Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/democracy-in-america-3026749. Tocqueville’s main purpose in writing Democracy in America was to analyze the functioning of political society and the various forms of political associations, although he also had some reflections on civil society as well as the relations between political and civil society. During his travels in the United States, one of the first things that surprised Alexis de Tocqueville about American culture was how early everyone seemed to eat breakfast. Both of his parents had been jailed during the Reign of Terror. 2. ; Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. In Washington, D.C., he called on President Andrew Jackson during visiting hours and exchanged pleasantries. The dominant theme today is the lament for what the left sees as the demise of American democracy. For other uses, see Democracy (disambiguation) and Democrat (disambiguation). Definition and Examples, 15 Major Sociological Studies and Publications, What Is Plutocracy? Their mood is decidedly apocalyptic. Democracy has meaning, and multiple values. Democracy in America, is a firsthand sociopolitical observation of the United States written by French lawyer Alexis de Tocqueville in 1831. French statesman Raymond Poincaré (1860-1934) served his country as president during World War I (1914-18) and later as prime minister during a series of financial crises. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. Second, he predicted that the United States and Russia would rise as rival superpowers, and they did after World War II. As “Democracy in America” revealed, Tocqueville believed that equality was the great political and social idea of his era, and he thought that the United States offered the most advanced example of equality in action. — “The very Deity itself both keepeth and requireth for ever this to be kept as a law, that wheresoever there is a coagmentation of many, the lowest be knit unto the highest by that which, being interjacent, may cause each to cleave to the other, and so all to continue one https://www.thoughtco.com/democracy-in-america-3026749 (accessed May 6, 2021). Democracy in the United States is strong, but showing some cracks. Before the war, he worked to strengthen ties with Great Britain and Russia against the growing threat of ...read more, The reign of France’s Louis XIV (1638-1715), known as the Sun King, lasted for 72 years, longer than that of any other known European sovereign. There are two volumes to Democracy in America. Crossman, Ashley. The travelers returned to France in 1832. What Is Democracy? Travelers learn firsthand about the impact of U.S. policy on the ground and forge productive and enduring partnerships. About Tocqueville’s Democracy in America. In America Democracy Destroyed Democracy. With its trenchant observations on equality and individualism, Tocqueville’s work remains a valuable explanation of America to Europeans and of Americans to themselves. “It’s the boldest pro-democracy reform package introduced in Congress since the Watergate era,” wrote Sylvia Albert, director of voting and elections at Common Cause, for Roll Call. In Volume I, Tocqueville discusses things such as: the social condition of Anglo-Americans; judicial power in the United States and its influence on political society; the United States Constitution; freedom of press; political associations; the advantages of a democratic government; the consequences of democracy; and the future of the races in the United States. He also noted the irony of the freedom-loving nation’s mistreatment of Native Americans and its embrace of slavery. Crossman, Ashley. “Society is endangered not by the great profligacy of a few, but by the laxity of morals amongst all.” … Democracy in America (1835–1840) is arguably the most perceptive and influential book ever written about American politics and society. Tocqueville was impressed by much of what he saw in American life, admiring the stability of its economy and wondering at the popularity of its churches. II and Democracy in America (Reeve) (a later edition in one volume). “Democracy in America” remains widely read and even more widely quoted by politicians, philosophers, historians and anyone seeking to understand the American character. This Library of America volume presents Alexis de Tocqueville’s masterpiece in an entirely new translation, the first to capture fully the precision and grace of his style while providing a rigorous and faithful rendering of his profound ideas and observations. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Part of the Politics series Volume two, published in 1840, focuses more on individuals and the effects that the democratic mentality has on the norms and thoughts that exist in society. He ultimately seeks to understand the true nature of American political life and why it was so different from Europe. Volume one was published in 1835 and is more optimistic of the two. Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. Importance of free association: Americans have a happy impulse to work together to improve their common life, most obviously by forming voluntary associations. ― John Adams, The Letters of John and Abigail Adams French sociologist and political theorist Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859) traveled to the United States in 1831 to study its prisons and returned with a wealth of broader observations that he codified in “Democracy in America” (1835), one of the most influential books of the 19th century. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For representative democracy that operates under the principles of classical liberalism, see Liberal democracy. This uniquely American art of association tempers their tendencies towards individualism and gives them a habit and taste for serving others (Volume 2, Part 2, Chapters 4 and 5). It focuses mainly on the structure of government and the institutions that help maintain freedom in the United States. 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