Alexis De Tocqueville's Democracy In America Analysis

America’s promise is to make sure that all men are created equal and that if any form of government seems destructive it is then the right of the people to institute a new government that effectively promotes the people’s safety and happiness. The Jacksonian Democracy was a time period which embodied the people’s will. It significantly contributed to shaping the American nation, promoted the strength of the presidency and the executive branch, and developement of the public participation in the government. There were a lot of attributes made to develop a nation that was not only based on stability but also on the restoration of independence for every individual. The period of the Jacksonian Democracy showed many attributes politically and economically.

The American Democracy Now textbook explains about the different 9 chapters, such as The Constitution, Federalism, Civil Liberties, Public Opinion, Interest Groups, Political, and etc. Within each of the 9 chapters it describes a brief history of America and how it help mold and shaped the way we live, and the way we think from a different perspective of a person opinion.

In the 19th century, American politics started change drastically from the old system which seemed to be fading away. The idea of democracy was born in America through the influence of politicians. The American people started to realize their place in the growth of the country. They realized that their involvement in politics could benefit them. Andrew Jackson for a time was the face of democracy to the American people. To him, democracy is the people’s involvement in politics through themselves or representatives. Jackson came from an extremely poor background and was known for his tenacious character which helped him in his journey of becoming the president of the country. Jackson served two terms in office and even after his death was still

In colonial America, the citizens did not know exactly what they wanted for their government. The colonists knew they didn’t want their lives to be like they had been in England. They were open to ideas; they did not know what would work and what wouldn’t. The colonists knew that trial and error was the best idea at the time. The democratic and undemocratic features of colonial America were very apparent in that democracy as it was a work in progress.

The United States of America established itself as a nation that advocated a political system subjected to the construct of democracy. This system was created to represent its citizens so that they may not grow weary in a tyrant monarchy, such as that of the British before the American Revolution [1]. The forefathers gathered to establish a constitution that respected the rights of its citizens and debated with much tension to how authority would be exercised in such a representative government. History has shared an active evolution to the structure of government within the United States , yet America today is actively still subjected to the famous political party establishment that was made in the years of 1783-1815. The political party commonly known were the Federalist and the Democratic Republicans – two very different ideal groups that helped change America.

There were both democratic and undemocratic features in colonial America, as democracy was a work in progress. Virginia’s House of Burgesses, Plan on a Slave ship, and The Lady’s Law are 3 examples of the documents I used. I also explained my reasoning in my paragraphs. Below are my reasonings, and my Documents.

Democracy is the foundation of the American government, and its application creates the opportunity of social class intermingling. Albeit in the form of social interaction or working one’s way up the chain of command. The labor standoff between the Homestead workers and management became the tipping point for manners in American democracy. This tipping point resulted in violent altercations, assassination attempts, and ultimately broken spirits. The Homestead strike in the 19th century not only exemplifies how democracy instigated class blending, but also diminished morality.

American Exceptionalism was coined by Alexis de Tocqueville in his book Democracy in America. To illustrate how the American way of thought is superior to the other ways of the world, Tocqueville expresses that the American way of thought is distinctively unique and special. This distinction is exemplified through liberty, egalitarianism, individualism, populism, and Laissez-Faire Economics. These qualities prove America’s exceptionality and difference from other countries. Although American Exceptionalism originated in the early 1800s, the idyllic values Tocqueville paints in his book can be seen throughout American history. Specifically, in the 1960s, a decade where de Tocqueville’s defining characteristics of American Exceptionalism are

“I have tried to see not differently but further…”(Tocqueville, 1835) was Alexis de Tocqueville’s conclusion to the introduction of his perennial classic text Democracy in America, and adumbrates to the reader of his modern ideas and observations that were to follow. At the same time, he measures the progress of society through its relationship with equality and liberty. In this paper, I will highlight Tocqueville’s use of equality and liberty to compare the past and the modern, and establish his views on the effects of these concepts with society and each other. Finally, I will put forth that Tocqueville does not favour one concept over the other, but notes the complex relationship between the two and the importance of the co-existence of liberty and equality for a society of people.

There was more to the American Revolution than most Americans are aware of. It was political, violent, and strategic in many aspects. However, there is a larger theme in the American Revolution leading up to, during, and after the revolution, of authority struggle. More specifically, home rule. The colonies eventually adopted the idea that they wanted to secede from Britain, but did they ever think of who would rule among the colonies should they achieve independence? As they grew closer to independence, this realization became more of an issue among the colonies. In a way, many aspects of the American Revolution were struggles over authority and control and not in just the empire but among the colonies as well. These struggles for authority

In the military buildup that the United States government faced before and during World War II, there were certain people who helped inhibit and escalate production of aircraft. Upon reading A.J. Baime’s The Arsenal of Democracy, I formed the opinion that these people were businessman Henry Ford, and his son, Edsel Ford. I have come under the conclusion that it was Henry Ford who was the person most responsible for inhibiting the buildup of the United States military via aircraft. In an instant I found to be rather ironic, I believe it was Henry ford’s son, Edsel Ford, who was the person most responsible for the acceleration of this military buildup of aircraft.

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 maintain the new democratic republic built after the revolution.

The Prince, written by Machiavelli, is a candid outline of how he believes leaders gain and keep power. Machiavelli uses examples of past leaders to determine traits that are necessary to rule successfully. Leaders such as the King of Naples and the Duke of Milan lacked military power, made their subjects hate them, or did not know how to protect themselves from the elite, causing them to lose power. He says that these rulers should blame laziness, not luck, for their failures. By looking at these historical successes and failures, Machiavelli is able to develop his own thoughts on how politics and leaders should be in the future. The overall goal of the government should be the well-being and stability of the state. He states that leaders

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. Tocqueville provided an analysis of how citizens can prevent equality from evolving into a high degree of isolation.

The aim of Tocqueville’s work The Old Regime and the French Revolution is not to draw on the history of the revolution. In the preliminary pages of his work, Tocqueville states, “it is not my purpose here to write a history of the French Revolution; that has been done already, and so alby that it would be folly on my part to think of covering the ground again. In this book I shall study, rather, the background and nature of the revolution” (Tocqueville, pg. vii). Tocqueville further asserts that a great deal of both speculation and theory will be central to his work. This is significant because we can effectively comprehend his attitude in regard to the revolution.