A Quick Look into Tocqueville's Democracy in America

By Gregory John "G.J." Vitale on July 13, 2012

 

Alexis de Tocqueville’s work Democracy in America is a study on why democracy in America works politically and socially while it has failed in other countries.  Split up into two parts, his coverage thoroughly examines both the framework of America’s democracy and its effect on the people.  Though Part I & II present different arguments, the work as a whole is both a criticism and praise of the country’s democratic politics and ideals.  Self-interest is one topic the Frenchman covers extensively.  His discrepancy between self-interest properly understood (enlightened self-interest), and selfishness (unenlightened self-interest), is a key to the work as a whole.  In Democracy in America Part I, Tocqueville is mostly positive and focuses mainly on the structure of government and the supporting bodies that assist in the maintenance of freedom, while in Part II, he concentrates on and censures democracy’s effect on the individual’s mindset, opinions, and morals.

Part I: Tocqueville’s analysis of democratic rule shows that the more decentralized government and a more powerful local management are successful in controlling the rowdiness of democratic life.  He is adamant in this claim when he writes, “In a word, there exist twenty-four small sovereign nation states which link together to form the body of the Union.”  Tocqueville’s book was written when the United States contained only twenty-four states, but his point that state comes before nation was profound.  He makes a strong stand that the “tyranny of the majority” may very well be the downfall of the United States.  The key factor that allows the nation to moderate such an issue, according to Tocqueville, is this “absence of administrative centralization.”  His opinions are clear: a democracy is not successful if the majority decides everything, and a way the United States has prevented this is by localized governments at least at the state level.

Part II: Tocqueville explores a more abstract and rather brave study on the side-effects of choosing equality over freedom.  He believes industry and materialism are two serious threats to the democratic society America is striving to create.  The subject under most discussion from Part II is his theories on self-interest.  He sums up his main belief on the subject when he wrote, “It is difficult to drag a man away from his own affairs to involve him in the destiny of the whole state because he fails to grasp what influence the destiny of the state might have on his own fate.”  The central point Tocqueville tries to make is that blind social involvement and charity do not make sense.  However, if the man can come to terms with the positive consequences that his virtue has on himself and the community as a whole, then he would be better inclined to do so.

After analyzing Democracy in America as a whole, it stands out that Tocqueville’s main problems with a democracy are an exponentially high portion of power in the legislative branch, an abuse of freedom, over-egalitarianism, individualism, and materialism.  However, his solutions for such issues are just as apparent.  The elements that Tocqueville feels can best combat the negative democratic tendencies are independent and influential judges, a powerful executive branch, local self-government, religion, and freedom of the press.  His theory on self-interest carries a karma-like ambience that can speak to everyone.

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