Democracy in America

by de Tocqueville, Alexis; Reeve, Henry; Bowen, Francis

• ISBN13: 9780486815596
• ISBN10: 0486815595
• Edition: Combined
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2017-03-17
• Publisher: Dover Publications

Summary

In the early 19th century, a French sociologist and political scientist undertook a seven-month journey throughout the newly formed United States. Alexis de Tocqueville surveyed the young nation's religious, political, and economic character and reported his findings in two volumes, published in 1835 and 1840. Two centuries later, Democracy in America remains among the most astute and influential surveys of American politics and society.
de Tocqueville focuses on why republican representative democracy prevailed in the United States, tracing its success from the state of equality established by the early Puritan settlers through the American Revolution and adoption of the Constitution. His speculations on the future of democracy offer prescient, thought-provoking reading, and his classic work remains a touchstone for modern thinkers on government. This edition is based on the earliest approved translation, which has served as the standard version for over a century and comes closest to reflecting the author's insights as perceived by his contemporaries.

Author Biography

French diplomat and historian Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–59) is notable for both Democracy in America and The Old Regime and the Revolution. Both works analyzed the connections between national character and government, were influential in 19th-century discussions of liberalism and equality, and were rediscovered by sociologists and political scientists of the 20th century.

Table of Contents

Volume I

Introduction

I. Exterior Form of North America

II. Origin of the Anglo-Americans, and Importance of this Origin in Relation to Their Future Condition

III. Social Condition of the Anglo-Americans

IV. The Principle of the Sovereignty of the People in America

V. Necessity of Examining the Condition of the States Before That of the Union at Large

VI. Judicial Power in the United States, and its Influence on Political Society

VII. Political Jurisdiction in the United States

VIII. The Federal Constitution

IX. How it Can Be Strictly Said that the People Govern in the United States

X. Parties in the United States

XI. Liberty of the Press in the United States

XII. Political Associations in the United States

XIII. Government of the Democracy in America

XIV. What Are the Real Advantages Which American Society Derives from a Democratic Government

XV. Unlimited Power of the Majority in the United States, and Its Consequences

XVI. Causes Which Mitigate the Tyranny of the Majority in the United States

XVII. Principal Causes Which Tend to Maintain the Democratic Republic in the United States

XVIII. The Present and Probable Future Condition of the Three Races Which Inhabit the Territory of the United States

Conclusion

 

Volume II

First Book: Influence of Democracy Upon the Action of Intellect in the United States

 

I. Philosophical Method of the Americans

II. Of the Principal Source of Belief Among Democratic Nations

III. Why the Americans Show More Aptitude and Taste for General Ideas than Their Forefathers, the English

IV. Why the Americans Have Never Been So Eager as the French for General Ideas in Political Affairs

V. How Religion in the United States Avails Itself of Democratic Tendencies

VI. The Progress of Roman Catholicism in the United States

VII. What Causes Democratic Nations to Incline Towards Pantheism

VIII. How Equality Suggests to the Americans the Idea of the Indefinite Perfectibility of Man

IX. The Example of the Americans Does Not Prove That a Democratic People Can Have No Aptitude and No Taste for Science, Literature, and Art

X. Why the Americans are More Addicted to Practical than Theoretical Science

XI. In What Spirit the Americans Cultivate the Arts

XII. Why the Americans Raise Some Insignificant Monuments, and Others That Are Very Grand

XIII. Literary Characteristics of Democratic Times

XIV. The Trade of Literature

XV. The Study of Greek and Latin Literature is Peculiarly Useful in Democratic Communities

XVI. How the American Democracy Has Modified the English Language

XVII. Of Some Sources of Poetry Amongst Democratic Nations

XVIII. Why American Writers and Orators Often Use An Inflated Style

XIX. Some Observations on the Drama Amongst Democratic Nations

XX. Some Characteristics of Historians in Democratic Times

XXI. Of Parliamentary Eloquence in the United States

 

Second Book: Influence of Democracy on the Feelings of the Americans

 

I. Why Democratic Nations Show a More Ardent and Enduring Love of Equality than of Liberty

II. Of Individualism in Democratic Countries

III. Individualism Stronger at the Close of a Democratic Revolution than at Other Periods

IV. That the Americans Combat the Effects of Individualism by Free Institutions

V. Of the Use Which the Americans Make of Public Associations in Civil Life

VI. Of the Relation Between Public Associations and the Newspapers

VII. Relation of Civil to Political Associations

VIII. How the Americans Combat Individualism by the Principle of Interest Rightly Understood

IX. That the Americans Apply the Principle of Interest Rightly Understood to Religious Matters

X. Of the Taste for Physical Well-Being in America

XI. Peculiar Effects of the Love of Physical Gratifications in Democratic Times

XII. Why Some Americans Manifest a Sort of Fanatical Spiritualism

XIII. Why the Americans are So Restless in the Midst of Their Prosperity

XIV. How the Taste for Physical Gratifications is United in America to Love of Freedom and Attention to Public Affairs

XV. How Religious Belief Sometimes Turns the Thoughts of the Americans to Immaterial Pleasures

XVI. How Excessive Care for Worldly Welfare May Impair that Welfare

XVII. How, When Conditions Are Equal and Scepticism is Rife, it is Important to Direct Human Actions to Distant Objects

XVIII. Why Amongst the Americans All Honest Callings are Considered Honorable

XIX. What Causes Almost All Americans to Follow Industrial Callings

XX. How An Aristocracy May Be Created by Manufacturers

 

Third Book: Influence of Democracy on Manners Properly So Called

 

I. How Manners are Softened as Social Conditions Become More Equal

II. How Democracy Renders the Habitual Intercourse of the Americans Simple and Easy

III. Why the Americans Show So Little Sensitiveness in Their Own Country, and Are So Sensitive in Europe

IV. Consequences of the Three Preceding Chapters

V. How Democracy Affects the Relations of Masters and Servants

VI. How Democratic Institutions and Manners Tend to Raise Rents and Shorten the Terms of Leases

VII. Influence of Democracy on Wages

VIII. Influence of Democracy on the Family

IX. Education of Young Women in the United States

X. The Young Woman in the Character of a Wife

XI. How Equality of Condition Contributes to Maintain Good Morals in America

XII. How the Americans Understand the Equality of the Sexes

XIII. How the Principle of Equality Naturally Divides the Americans Into a Multitude of Small Private Circles

XIV. Some Reflections on American Manners

XV. Of the Gravity of the Americans, and Why it Does Not Prevent Them from Often Doing Inconsiderate Things

XVI. Why the National Vanity of the Americans is More Restless and Captious Than That of the English

XVII. How the Aspect of Society in the United States is At Once Excited and Monotonous

XVIII. On Honor in the United States and in Democratic Communities

XIX. Why So Many Ambitious Men and So Little Lofty Ambitions Are to be Found in the United States

XX. The Trade of Place-Hunting in Certain Democratic Countries

XXI. Why Great Revolutions Will Become More Rare

XXII. Why Democratic Nations are Naturally Desirous of Peace, and Democratic Armies of War

XXIII. Which is the Most Warlike and Most Revolutionary Class in Democratic Armies

XXIV. Causes Which Render Democratic Armies Weaker Than Other armies at the Outset of a Campaign, and More Formidable in Protracted Warfare

XXV. Of Discipline in Democratic Armies

XXVI. Some Considerations on War in Democratic Communities

 

Fourth Book: Influence of Democratic Ideas and Feelings on Political Society

 

I. Equality Naturally Gives Men a Taste for Free Institutions

II. That the Opinions of Democratic Nations about Government are Naturally Favorable to the Concentration of Power

III. That the Sentiments of Democratic Nations Accord with Their Opinions in Leading Them to Concentrate Political Power

IV. Of Certain Peculiar and Accidental Causes, which Either Lead a People to Complete the Centralization of Government, or which Divert them From it

V. That Amongst the European Nations or Our Time the Sovereign Power is Increasing, Although the Sovereigns are Less Stable

VI. What Sort of Despotism Democratic Nations Have to Fear

VII. Continuation of the Preceding Chapters

VIII. General Survey of the Subject

 

Appendix

Democracy in Switzerland

Speech of M. De Tocqueville in the Chamber of Deputies, January 27, 1848

Biographical Notice of De Tocqueville