Alexis de Tocqueville

Both President Adams, and Alexis de Tocqueville discuss in their writings their opinions that human beings, by nature, will focus more on their own will, and desires than that of people separate and different from them. In the first passage, President Adams states, “…the desires of the majority of the people are often for injustice and inhumanity against the minority…” Describing his belief that people will inherently devote more of their energy and power onto their own personal desires, rather…

known as Alexis de Tocqueville wrote a book titled Democracy in America, in which Tocqueville describes his residency in America, as he concluded to why democratic change in the United States of America was successful. Tocqueville, was sent from France to examine why democracy flourished so peacefully throughout America, unlike in France. During his hospitality, Tocqueville toured around America, studying how the citizens, were so adoptive of this newly form concept of democracy. As Tocqueville…

In the 1800s, Alexis de Tocqueville claimed that “There is no country in the world where the Christian religion retains a greater influence over the souls of men than in America.” This was understandably true in the early nineteenth century. Even today, religion plays a significant role in laws and issues in our country. However, the truth of the matter often gets lost in the changes that our society has gone through. Many today end up rejecting or condemning Christianity as childish,…

Alexis De Tocqueville came to America during the Jacksonian era in 1831 and 1832. During his time here, he made concrete observations about everything he witnessed. His book captures his insightful generalizations on the essence of America. Tocqueville believed America was the most advanced example of a great democratic revolution. However, he identified the main problems of a democracy as the following: a disproportionately high amount of power in the legislative branch, an abuse of of love for…

and made America a large player on the global market. But what were the domestic impacts? In his 1831 book, Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville illustrates how American industrialization benefits the work, but harms the worker. When Eli Whitney introduced the idea of interchangeable parts, mass production became a real possibility. However, Alexis de Tocqueville claims that “the art” the workers create becomes better and more effective, but “the artisan retrogresses.” Regardless of these…

In the assertion, Democracy In America, written by Alexis De Tocqueville, a French diplomat, political scientist, and historian, Tocqueville addresses that we, Americans, do have a political science well-formulated to modern democracy and democratic society, and thus, lacking the necessary tools to effectively understand and manage this new form of government. Tocqueville also suggests democracy and equality are not entirely ‘good things’ as they may leave long-lasting negative impacts in…

In 1835 Alexis de Tocqueville published the first edition of his book De la démocratie en Amérique (Democracy in America). Here he made observations on the democracy being established in the United States, and the threats it could face. In this paper I will address and analyze the question: How are we less free and democratic in the United States today? I will use Tocqueville’s insights from Democracy in America and pull from a variety of other authors to back his claims. As well, I will build…

For example, Adam Smith a political economist viewed the division of labor as positive and a benefit to workers and employers. In contrast, Alexis de Tocqueville a French political thinker and historian viewed the division of labor as negative that made workers stagnant in their lives. Adam Smith had stated that there was a “great increase of the quantity of work which is owing to three different circumstances;…

I. Southeast Asian countries, due to their historical and social complexity, continue to deviate from widely held political theories. In this paper, I will employ the work of Alexis De Tocqueville and Robert Putnam to show how the Philippines and Thailand prove to be enigmatic in that regard. I argue that we see a largely active civil society but low democratization in Thailand and the Philippines owing to their authoritarian histories and lack of democratic institutionalization. I chose to…

rather than personal gain, people are forced to work together. Through these features of American democracy which de Tocqueville noted, Americans are able to balance individualism with the good of the community. The love which people in democratic nations have for both equality and liberty, results in Americans being motivated by ideals of personal gain and private interest. De Tocqueville does not imply that these rights of liberty and equality should be expelled. Rather, he believes that a…