They traveled over to America and stayed for nine months to “study” the prisons. However, he accomplished a lot more than what he came here to do. Alexis made quite a few observations about America, these observations will be discussed throughout the paper. One of the many observations Alexis de Tocqueville made during his stay in america is the principle sovereignty of the the people. As seen in many other countries, the will of the people is concealed, However, in America it is the opposite. The will of the people is openly recognized by the government when it comes to determining political laws. The government is created and sustained by the consent of its people, which is greatly appreciated. He quotes: “The foundation of the decision
Alex de Tocqueville explored aspects of the perplexing American Union Federal system in “From Democracy in America” whilst searching for a successful government style that would eradicate the failing and outdated monarchy of France. de Tocqueville first opens his excerpt by examining the lack of separation of power between head of state and congress, stating how both entities withheld the ability to “use the militias in cases of insurrection or invasion” (From Democracy in America) which consequently caused chaos during the War of 1812. This haphazard policy caused de Tocqueville to question the effectiveness of the federal system because the “absurd and destructive doctrines received not only the sanction of the Governors and the legislature,
A majority, held in restraint by constitutional checks and limitations, and always changing easily with deliberate changes of popular opinions and sentiments, is the only true sovereign of a free people. Whoever rejects it, does, of necessity, fly to anarchy or to despotism” (Basler,
embraces more than the fate of these United States. It presents to the whole family of man the question of whether a constitutional republic or democracy -- a government of the people, by the same people -- can or cannot maintain its territorial integrity against its own domestic foes. It presents the question whether the discontented individuals-- too few in numbers to control the administration, according to organic law, in anycase -- can always, upon the pretenses made in this case or on any other pretenses, or arbitrarily without any pretense, break up the government and thus practically put an end to free government upon the earth. It forces us to ask: “Is there, in all republics, this inherent and fatal weakness? Make a government, of necessity, be too strong for the liberties of its own people, or too weak to maintain its own
The American government was founded by democratic principles in order to serve the will of the people. Thus the people and their opinion are the basis of American government. Political scientist V. O. Key Jr. stated that public opinion must not only exist, but it must be heard by policy decisions (Yolaf, 266). Public opinion has the power to justify president’s policies, for interest groups to promote their causes, and for journalists to describe public preferences. One popular way to show public opinion is through voting.
Americans in general view America as an ideal democracy in which every citizen has a voice and the views of the public have the power to shape the country. It is somewhat ironic, then, that the Constitutional Convention as a whole was mistrustful of democracy. Perhaps the most prominent holder of this opinion was James Madison, who was very vocal about the oppressive results of majority rule. Madison was of the opinion that the best way to ensure liberty was not leave it in the hands of the general public, but rather to split the federal government and allow each of the resulting branches curtail the power of the others. As Madison said in Federalist No. 51, “Ambition must be made to counteract ambition”.
The United States is believed to go for the people and by the people, however that is not all true. Even with the new form of government there are still many conflicts because, people with higher authority wants to keep a certain reputation for themselves. The people are supposed to have the power because, the people make up the nation and the people are the ones that are being mostly affected by the decisions high authority makes. The members of congress should vote according to their conscience because, it relates more to the people than a financial issue. Congress can give back to the people the opportunity to have a voice in saying the issues that are really important, and congress can attack those issues.
Alexis De Tocqueville was a french writer and an early observer of the American political culture during 1830 's. He came to America to answer the question, “Why are the Americans doing so well with democracy, while France is having so much trouble with it?” He identified a couple of factors that influenced America 's success like abundant and fertile land, countless opportunities for people to aquire land and make a
The founding fathers wrote these documents in a time period with entirely different influences regarding how a government should be structured, such as a focus on avoiding imperial influences and monarchies, and one that was structured during a constant fear of war (Berkin 41). Additionally, the meanings of these documents are continually purposely misconstrued, and so should be regarded with caution as to the ways in which the writings can be utilized for personal gain in times where the original intentions are somewhat moot. Overall, however, the government is still one that draws its authority from the consent of the governed, so those who are elected to represent the citizens of the United States should keep in mind the true desires of its
In Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville provides an analysis and critique of American civic life. During his travels across the country, he discovered how different America was from Europe, particularly France. While the majority of Europe consisted of aristocratic countries with hundreds of years of history, America was a young democratic country. Most notably, he observed that America was growing in equality. The growing equality becomes a presupposition of individualism and isolation, but despite this inevitable growth of equality, individualism and isolation can be minimized.
Thomas Jefferson and Niccolo Machiavelli both believe that the actions of the people shape the characteristics of the ruler and define the type of authority that will be held towards the people. Machiavelli, the first great political philosopher of the Renaissance, argues all men are untrustworthy due to their selfish, self-interested and impulsive ways of life in his writing, The Morals of the Prince, and therefore, to keep the people under control the ruler must be prepared to be cruel and instill fear among the people. Opposing Machiavelli is Jefferson. In The Declaration of Independence Jefferson believes people can be trusted since they have the ability to make their own decisions. Whereas Machiavelli supports tyranny, Jefferson believes
Introduction: While freedom as a concept feels fairly intuitive, nuances in interpretation can change the basis of an argument. John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government and Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America do not define liberty in precisely the same way, which in turn guides two different visions in how a government should function. When examining a core concept in an argument, it is important to inquire to whether its treatment is adequate. Is either definition of liberty sufficient, and does either author’s envisioned government adequately address liberty in that system? This paper will argue that Locke’s definition of liberty remains in the literal sphere while Tocqueville’s is more conceptual, but neither Locke’s nor Tocqueville’s
To prosper in a just and moral way, America must stand united. Thoreau demonstrates the accountability between the two parties: “The government itself, which is only the mode which the people have chosen to execute their will, is equally liable to be abused and perverted” (Thoreau, 1849/1998, p. 127). The people who compose a nation must not be complacent and inactive. Inactivity prevents progress.
De Tocqueville doesn 't view liberty as an attribute part of the democratic era. He believes that the only character that is associated with this era is equality. He explains in his theory that people of this era prize equality over liberty, although he doesn 't deny that democratic people value liberty, because everyone can take part in it and enjoy it effortlessly, as opposed to liberty where you have to "sacrifice" to achieve it (De Tocqueville, 1835). He holds that equality creates individualism, which means people separate themselves from one another, their ancestors and the future generations, that leads to tyranny and despotism. On the contrary, he claims that during the aristocratic ages, people were not selfish and careless about others ' needs because "aristocracy links everybody, from peasant to king" (De Tocqueville, 1835).
In the United States, people always talk about freedom and equality. Especially they want elections could be more democratic. In American Democracy in Peril, Hudson’s main argument regarding chapter five “Election Without the People’s Voice,” is if elections want to be democratic, they must meet three essential criteria, which are to provide equal representation of all citizens, to be mechanisms for deliberation about public policy issues, and to control what government does. Unfortunately, those points that Hudson mentions are what American elections do not have. American elections do not provide equal representation to everyone in the country.
Alexis de Tocqueville penned Democracy in America after he spent month America in the 1831, where he witnessed a new democratic system. He found it’s concepts to have unique strengths and weaknesses that he believed could be the inspiration for the new government of post-revolution France. The concepts of limiting individualism, encouraging positive associations, and moderating the tyranny of the majority that Tocqueville observed during his trip in America helped build as well as maintain the new democratic republic built after the revolution. As soon as America became from British rule, their groundwork for their new government that was accessible to it’s citizens helped cement them as a true democracy since it contended with individualism.