Preview

Democracy In America Tocqueville Summary

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
397 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Democracy In America Tocqueville Summary
According to “Democracy in America,” by Alexis de Tocqueville, democracy separates the generations to come with the present generation. This is because the bind that connects generations in aristocracy breaks in a democracy. For example, Tocqueville states that democracy hides a person's descendents, while separating his contemporaries. He explains that in an aristocracy, a person always sees a man above himself and a man below him. Hence, why Tocqueville believes that aristocracy is better than democracy. However, I must disagree with Mr. Tocqueville due to the fact that a democracy has more benefits than an aristocracy.
There are two types of democracy: direct and indirect. A direct democracy means that everyone has a vote and a say. An

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    3. What is the difference between direct and indirect systems of democracy and how these terms reflect a republic?…

    • 4775 Words
    • 20 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In a landmark examination of the American society and culture, Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America offered a unique Tocqueville provides a fascinating account of three oppressed ethnic groups in America, the Negroes and the Indians. “these two unlucky races have in common neither birth, appearances, language, nor mores,” In comparatively Outsider’s thought on liberty and its limitations amongst the inhabitants of the United States, particularly in the relations of three races “naturally distinct and hostile to one another”. Though this provocative comparison may initially appear to be vast however his analysis proves that the allegory is outstanding and well-constructed. Moreover, the equality informs a new mode of cooperation…

    • 232 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Written by Alexis De Tocqueville, Democracy in America critiques American customs through observations. (reword) Tocqueville examines the vast differences between his own, French, culture and the new, unrefined culture that is fostering in America. He observes in mystified awe at racial relations between not only the Native Americans and the Europeans, but the Africans that were recently brought to America. The race relations which present themselves in America are inconsistent with that in Europe. Slavery in America has developed “naturally with the society to which it belongs,” it has manifested into every household and taken over the whole country, but what Tocqueville finds fascinating is the lack of economic betterment that comes from the use of slaves in everyday labor (288). To further this argument, Tocqueville employs the use of logos and effectively describes the injurious consequences…

    • 863 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The United States’ form of government is a controversial topic in this modern era and has been for decades. The big question “Is the United States a democracy, a republic or something else?” According to the article On Democracy in Our Republic by an unknown author, there is a logically reinforced thesis that the United States is a republic and not a democracy.…

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    First, there are two types of democracies direct and representatives. “ A direct democracy has no representatives and the citizens are involved in the day-to-day work of governing the country “. And a representative democracy is “ citizens who elect leaders to represent their rights and interest in government “. A direct democracy is different from a representative democracy because in representatives democracy the citizens hold the ultimate power, but there are no kinds of representatives, unlike a direct democracy.…

    • 329 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In chapter seven, Tocqueville primarily talks about the unlimited power of the omnipotence of the majority of America. The natural strengths of the majority rule are clearly elaborated by Tocqueville in two ways. First he asserts that “The very essence of democratic government consists in the absolute sovereignty of the majority” (p. 282). Meaning that the essence of democratic government has determined the inevitable fate of the superior power of majority rule in this country. On the other hand, this trend has been strengthened by the constitution of some major states in the United States. The legislature, which can be the most vulnerable governmental agency affected by the majority, is the best embodiment of the majority rule. It is due to the fact that the lawmakers are directly elected by the majority, besides, their term of service are incredibly short as compared with the great power they were…

    • 1704 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Tocqueville Flaws

    • 915 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Consequently, this democracy could not serve to provide equality. As we see in our country and the countries we visited the idea of meritocracy is prevalent in our everyday realities. Not many European countries “profited” from this part of Tocqueville’s argument. There are some parties in government in 3/4 of the countries we visited (United Kingdom, Belgium, and France) who are trying to shift towards an “anti-capitalistic” form of government, but their power is minimal and non-existent in the Netherlands and the United…

    • 915 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In a democracy, people choose their leaders by voting, and everyone is treated equally. Democracy revolves around rule by the majority. In my opinion, colonial America was on its way to democracy, but far from being a true democratic society. Only a small portion of the people were able to make the decisions, so government did not revolve around the majority.…

    • 294 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tocqueville believed that since despotism is not restricted by laws or rules and being an arbitrary power which resists the notion of popular sovereignty, a democracy based on equality would result in isolationism ultimately creating a state of despotism. Tocqueville argued that equality resulted in citizens compromising their abilities due to the government limiting the individual’s potential. That a government based on the desires of the majority under the concept of equality actually resulted in isolationism by in essence lining citizen up shoulder to shoulder with no bond to link them together. With a system of equality the common link shared by men turns away from the common good and leads to self-interest and personal greed. Citizens…

    • 131 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    • Direct democracy: a form of democracy in which people decide (e.g. vote on, form…

    • 3675 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In conclusion, you could define the era surrounding the birth of democracy as inclusive, but only if you exclude black slaves, Native Americans, women and the working class. However, that form of an “inclusive democracy” is indicative of a nation for the rich, rather than one for the…

    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the present political spectrum, democracy is essentially understood as both the most humane and effective means by which to govern a body politic. While democracy is currently relatively non-controversial, this was not the case during its establishment. The democratic experiment in America was viewed somewhat indifferently by many of the world's prominent political philosophers. Alexis de Tocqueville and John Stuart Mill existed among those most apprehensive of the democratic experiment. To each of these men, democracy certainly possessed certain positive attributes, but at the same time, represented a potential threat to the individual freedoms of man, through a much feared 'tyranny of the majority'.…

    • 982 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Usually within a democracy, common opinion rules the world. Although, the Americans hold a very particular philosophical vision according to which, each individual, unique, judge things by himself. As a matter, everyone cannot put forward his own opinion about every subject because if it was the case, he would dedicate and lost most of his time to study and, seeing that everything couldn’t be detailed, would go for some approximation. That is why Tocqueville says that, for some special domain, such as religion for example, it is necessary for the human being to come to general ideas. The example quoted by Tocqueville is very forceful and makes us able to catch the consequences of the emanation of an individual thought on this point.…

    • 798 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Political Science

    • 2342 Words
    • 10 Pages

    6. What is the major difference between a direct democracy and a representative democracy? In a direct democracy, citizens themselves make decisions, whereas in a representative democracy, citizens choose intermediaries who make decisions for them.…

    • 2342 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Although the United States government promises its people that they live in a true democratic country, the United States is definitely not a democracy. A democracy by definition is “the government by people.” However, the United States looks as if it is a constitutional republic, rather than democracy. A constitutional republic is “a state in which the head of state or officials are representatives of the people.” The United States is a country run by the government officials, not the people, the government is taking away the rights that the U.S. Constitution promises its people, and not all citizens are treated equally or given the same rights. Therefore, the United States is far from a democracy at this time.…

    • 810 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays