How Does Tocqueville Lead To Despotism?

The government of the United States is very complex. There are many different levels of government in America which include the federal government, state governments, and local governments. Even though all of these institutions differ from one another, they all have the same goal, which is to protect and provide Americans with the freedom that they deserve. Freedom is the most important thing that a person can have because it allows them to live life the way they choose. Without freedom, people would not be able to live the life they wanted to which would start immense conflicts. America was founded on the idea of freedom and it is crucial that freedom is always maintained throughout the country. The United States guarantees its citizens freedom
He brings up the fact that, “If it be admitted that a man, possessing absolute power, may misuse that power by wronging his adversaries, why should a majority not be liable to the same reproach?” (Tocqueville 210). Tocqueville brings up an extremely valid point in this passage by comparing the majority to an absolute monarchy. If a majority becomes too strong and too caught up in their beliefs it could lead to despotism, which is a term for absolute power in a cruel and obsessive way. Majorities have the potential to be very aggressive about what they believe and could lead people away from their original thoughts and beliefs which takes away their freedom of thinking the way they want to. The American government must have majorities in order to operate to the best of its potential, but it is also very important that the majority does not become too powerful or demanding to make people feel as if they cannot freely and safely believe in the concepts that they identify with. If people felt this way, then the entire goal of America would be greatly
The freedom of press provides people to freely present all of their ideas and opinions without any restrictions. It lets people put out their different beliefs, even if it opposes with the majority. The freedom of press allows people to see opinions that may differ from their own but it also lets them see opinions that they might agree with. Tocqueville writes, “every citizen must be presumed to possess the power of discriminating between the different opinions of his cotemporaries, and of appreciating the different facts from which inferences may be drawn” (Tocqueville 149). People are supposed to acknowledge ideas and beliefs that differ from their own, because that is the best way to ensure that their original belief is the strongest. It is also a way for people to understand people who are different from them and see why they believe in the things that they do. Freedom of press provides people to be enriched with all different types of thoughts and ideals. As Tocqueville claims, “the press cannot create human passions by its own power, however skillfully it may kindle them where they exist” (Tocqueville 150). The press does not have the power to persuade people entirely of their beliefs but it does have the power to have people confirm or deny their beliefs by making them think. Freedom of press prevents Tocqueville’s concern about the tyranny of the majority and depotisim because freedom of press calls for