3.3: Democratic Statecraft
Read this text as follows:
- Volume I, Chapter 2
- Volume I, Chapter 3
- Volume I, Chapter 10
- Volume I, Chapter 11
- Volume I, Chapter 12
- Volume I, Chapter 13
- Volume II, Section II, Chapter 26
- Volume II, Section II, Chapter 27
- Volume II, Section II, Chapter 28
- Volume II, Section II, Chapter 29
- Volume II, Section IV, Chapter 1
- Volume II, Section IV, Chapter 2
- Volume II, Section IV, Chapter 3
- Volume II, Section IV, Chapter 4
- Volume II, Section IV, Chapter 5
- Volume II, Section IV, Chapter 6
In this work, Tocqueville studies democracy via the civil practices he observed during a tour of the newly-independent American colonies. While in America, he noticed that wealth circulated more freely without hereditary ranks and distractions.
Study Guide Questions:
- Why does Tocqueville want to study democracy in America?
- How does Tocqueville view equality in America?
- How does Tocqueville view the role religion plays in America, specifically with regard to politics and social order?
3.3.1: Equal Rights and Popular Sovereignty
Watch this lecture. In his work, Tocqueville describes the radical departure from the classical notion that citizens have different innate abilities and assesses the potential consequences resulting from the belief in and passion for equality.
3.3.2: The Importance of Civic Associations
Watch this lecture. With the introduction of equal political rights, Tocqueville also advocated more democratic and representative institutions capable of upholding the people's interests, and he warned of a tyranny of the majority.
Answer these questions on the major themes in Tocqueville's Democracy in America.