Democracy in America

Of the democracy in America (published in two books, the first in 1835, the second in 1840), is a traditional text French writes by Alexis de Tocqueville on the the United States of the years 1830, on the strong points and weak of the country. Although the title is translated into English by One Democracy in America , it is better known under the title Democracy in America .

The voyage of Tocqueville in America

In 1831, Alexis de Tocqueville and Gustave de Beaumont, two French, were sent by the French government to inquire into the American prison system. Arrived at New York in May, they spent nine months while travelling through the United States, observing not only the prisons, but several aspects of the american company, including the economy and the Politique. Both also briefly remained with the Canada, spending a few days during the summer of 1831 in the Low-Canada and the High-Canada, the provinces which became the Quebec and the Ontario of today.

After being turned over to France in February 1832, both submitted their report/ratio in 1833 on the American prison system which was entitled system pénitentaire in the United States and of its application in France . Beaumont wrote then a Romance on the racial relations in the United States. On the other hand, Tocqueville, which was fascinated by the American policy, wrote a treaty of political and social analysis, Of the democracy in America . The work of Tocqueville will become most influential of both.

Summary

Of the democracy in America is initially and before a a whole analysis on the representative democracy republican, and the reasons for which it succeeds in the United States when it was dedicated to the failure in so many of other countries.

Work is divided into two volumes distinct, published independently one from the other: in its introduction to the first volume, Tocqueville announced besides that it renonçait with the second volume (decision on which, obviously, it had to return). More than by their dates, the two volumes are also characterized by their topics. The first volume treats impulse which the democratic movement (which is a social transformation before being concretized in political institutions) gives to the shape of the government, the laws and the political life - i.e. with the democracy like political structure. The second volume treats influence that the democracy (this time as well as social transformation as as political regime) exerts on the civil society, i.e. on manners, the ideas and the intellectual life. To summarize, one can thus say that the first volume is more political and the more sociological second.

Tocqueville speculated in the future of the democracy for the United States, and in dangers potientiels “with the democracy” as well as dangers “of the democracy”. He wrote democracy, which it has a tendency to degenerate into what he described like “the Despotisme radouci”. He also observed that the only part which the Religion could play was due to its separation of the government, allowing a laic country being appropriate for the two parties.

Importance

Of the democracy in America was published under many editions at the 19th century. Work immediately became known in Europe like in the United States. As of the 20th century, it became traditional politologic, sociological, philosophical and historical.

This work of Tocqueville is often acclaimed to have predicted several events which appeared finally. She correctly predicts the debate on the Abolition of the slavery where America would tear during its civil war. She predicts also the emergence of the United States and the Russia like both superpuissantes of the world, driving with a bipolarisation (that the world knows under the name of Cold war). Moreover, the possibility presented in this work that the citizens come from there to give up their freedom with the profit of a greater equality expressed at the 20th century in the form of various totalitarianisms.

The democracy in America comprised, according to Tocqueville, of the potential weaknesses: the popular despotism, the tyranny of the majority, the absence of intellectual freedom, which seemed to degrade the administration to him and to cause the fall with the beneficial policy, education, and the beautiful letters. Of the democracy in America predicts violence between the political parties and the judgment of wise by the ignares. That these predictions appeared already or not is debatable.

Of the democracy in America is praised for the gifted perception of the author, but he is as criticized by intellectuals today for the many gaps as he presents: the author almost did not mention there poverty in the big cities. One can consider that the time when of Tocqueville democracy in America wrote - in the years 1830 - poverty neither so widespread nor was regarded as much as a crisis as it would become soon later. Moreover, it predicted the complete disappearance of the Indian nations there: “I believe that the Indian race of North America is condemned to perish, and I then to prevent me from thinking only during the day when Europeans will have been established on the edges of the Pacific Ocean, it will have ceased exister". Assertion confused by the perennial and continuous presence of the Indian populations of North America.

Notes and references of the article

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