Democracy in America

Rating:
Summary: Essential American Reading
Review: Anyone wishing to better understand how it is that America achieved it's current position in the world must read this book. De Tocqueville's seminal work rings true today and gives a great perspective on our past, present and future. Everything that has ever happened in America's relatively short history, up to and including our most recent presidential election and the attacks of September 11th are better understood after reading this timeless classic.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: De Tocqueville is every bit as brilliant and insightful as he has been said to be. The book is as relevant now as when written and is a must read for every american who is serious about understanding his country. What one realizes in reading the book is how novel and radical was the american experiment in creating a state that was both a republic and a democracy. De Toqueville's research was amazing, as well, he read the laws and constitutions of the various states, he didn't just observe the manifestation of american government and society. His assessments of the plusses and minuses of our government forms was incredibly astute and it is interesting to reflect on the changes that took place in the government after his time and how accurately he foresaw the advantages and disadvantages of those changes, as well. Given the short period of time that he spent in this country and the distances that he travelled one stands in awe of his work. His writing style is, of course, dated but one gets accustomed to it and learns to follow the rhythm.

Rating:
Summary: Astute Observer of America
Review: De Tocqueville was simply of one of the great social scientists writing about America and Democracy. From reading the book I deduced that De Tocqueville was a social scientist before Marx! He compares European culture and government with the fledgling culture and democracy he observes in America. He is very much impressed with what he sees taking place in America in the 1830's and hopes it will spread to Europe. He at first believed that America's prosperity was simply due to geography and their distance from powerful neighbors, he abandons this idea after his visit to America. He comes to realize that the West is not being peopled "by new European immigrants to America, but by Americans who he believes have no adversity to taking risks". De Tocqueville comes to see that Americans are the most broadly educated and politically advanced people in the world and one of the reasons for the success of our form of government. He also foretells America's industrial preeminence and strength through the unfettered spread of ideas and human industry.

De Tocqueville also saw the insidious damage that the institution of slavery was causing the country and predicted some 30 years before the Civil War that slavery would probable cause the states to fragment from the union. He also the emergence of stronger states rights over the power of the federal government. He held fast to his belief that the greatest danger to democracy was the trend toward the concentration of power by the federal government. He predicted wrongly that the union would probably break up into 2 or 3 countries because of regional interests and differences. This idea is the only one about America that he gets wrong. Despite some of his misgivings, De Tocqueville, saw that democracy is an "inescapable development" of the modern world. The arguments in the "Federalist Papers" were greater than most people realized. He saw a social revolution coming that continues throughout the world today.

De Tocqueville realizes at the very beginning of the "industrial revolution" how industry, centralization and democracy strengthened each other and moved forward together. I am convinced that De Tocqueville is still the preeminent observer of America but is also the father of social science. As a retired Army officer and political philosopher, I found this book to be a must read for anyone interested in American history, political philosophy or the social sciences.

Rating:
Summary: What America is really about
Review: De Tocqueville's observations of America in the early 19th century remain surprisingly relevant to America in the 21st century. As some reviewers have pointed out, his predictions are uncannily accurate. However it is De Tocqueville's understanding of what America is - and isn't - was what struck me most powerfully. Essentially De Tocqueville wanted to find out what made America "tick" and present an arguement as to why our democracy would not work in Europe. (The author was a nobleman, mind you.) His observations remain true to who Americans are, and serve as a reminder of who we hope to be.

Among the uniquely "American" features De Tocqueville writes about are our society without rigid class lines - that each citizen understood himself to be the equal of all others; the nobility of work (or rather that work - and working hard - was not only expected, but looked forward to); the informality of address (and of dress). The sense of social and economic opportunity that America provides through these attitudes, and the vast space and immense resources the country has that enables Americans to literally make (or re-make) themselves. And perhaps most importantly, the seriousness with which Americans took their rights - most notable among them, the right to vote and run for public office.

There are, of course, specific instances that remind the reader that these observations are over 150 years old - the carriage driver who nearly comes to blows with a German duke, or the graphic telling of the volumes of tobacco juice spraying passengers on a sternwheeler come to mind. However it was refreshing to see that what it is to be "American" essentially has not changed since Jackson was President.

Rating:
Summary: Are you American? You must read
Review: De Toqueville was a French aristocrat in his early 20's (early 20's!!!) who came to the US in order to report to France on the conditions in American prisons. I read this book unabridged many years ago, and I still find myself referring to it regularly and shaking my head in amazement.

Somehow this young man saw into the nature of our nation more deeply than than the large majority of us see it ourselves. He discusses every aspect of our government and society, from political parties to the women, from slavery to war to farming to elections. There's just something about the way he discusses these topics insightfully, in depth, and fairly -- assessing our flaws as well as our virtues -- that leaves me still today feeling like he has placed a benediction over the American people, a sort of divine authorization to proceed with this dream of ours, despite the fact that we stumble and sometimes even fall, and he knew in advance that also that would happen. In addition to all your other considerable contributions to science and culture, thank you, France, also for this man. Thanks from America to you.

One thing that can't help but bowl the modern reader over is the accuracy of his predictions. America will face a great civil war, he predicts, and although they've chosen a bunch of numskulls for president before, don't be fooled. In time of great need, they will elect a great man. They just don't want busybodies in power unless they need them. I know America has only a small percent of the GNP and population of France, but keep a close eye on this one. In 100 years, its population will be around 200,000,000. And the world will be split between two great powers, Russia which will gain its preeminence by the sword and America which will gain it by the plowshare. Now I know Mexico just translated America's Constitution word for word into Spanish, and aspires to establish a society just like theirs. And I know their current populations are comparable. Still America will gain preeminence, but Mexico will not. And here's why. And I know the number of Negroes and the number of natives is about the same, and they are both subordinate to the whites. Still the natives will disappear as a powerful identifiable social and economic force, but the African will not. There will be a well defined and influential African subculture in 100 years, but the same will not hold of the natives. And here's why.

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Not bad, huh?

The one big thing he didn't predict was the technological revolution. But it was, after all, 1844 or something, and folks were carrying muskets and using kerosene lamps, so I cut him a little slack for not guessing we'd land on the moon.

I long to go on and on, but I shut up now.

Rating:
Summary: Democracy in America
Review: Democracy in America by Alexis De Tocqueville is by far an in depth view of America as seen by the traveling Frenchman. It is written so well that even today almost one hundred and fifty years later it is still apropos.

The translation flows very easily and is not distracting. De Tocqueville has a wonderful writing style that could pass today even though it was written long ago... so well readable and quotable that you get the picture of American life, morals, and an astute view of politics all rolled into one.

You get a view and meaning of American civilization, for America herself, and also for Europe. You can tell from reading. that this view is ever-present in De Tocqueville's mind as if he is a comparative sociologist. Yet reading this book you get the impression that De Tocqueville had generations of readers in mind.

As De Tocqueville noted, "It is not force alone, but rather good laws, which make a new govenment secure. After the battle comes the lawgiver. The one destroys; the other builds up. Each has its function." So true even for todays war. After you defeat your enemy you have to build up the infratructure just as Marshall and Truman both realized.

Reading this book you see the skillful eye of the author noticing and recording what he sees and he is impressed. I found this book to be of great import for the observations of America and hope that our educators use this book for teaching our children about the great country we live in.

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Summary: Why America is so a successfull country.
Review: Democracy in America" , in the abridged version of the quite voluminous full work which totals something like 2.000 pages of texts, is worthy all the money the reader spent in search of a good content and which fully conveys the inteligent writting style and the penetrating innovative ideas of one of the most brilliant thinkers of all times, the superbly bright French nobleman , Alexis de Tocqueville, a household name in America's schools. I would be at a loss if I had to name the area of knowledge where the author impresses me most: as an historian?, as a sociologist? as an economist? as an anthropologist or a philosopher? In all of these fields of knowledge his approach is innovative, his style vivid, and his ideas spring from the seemingly endless source of his mental apparatus, certainly one of the best of his time. Getting in first contact with such a cornucopia of new ideas and thoughts is very estimulating, specially if one has in mind that Alexis' work is not a panegeric of his condition of nobleman(after the French Revolution). Quite to the contrary, his open mindedness is revealed in the futurity he ascertains to the United States as the new economic and social power of the world, leaving behind all the decadent fashion and way of style of ancient nobility, English or French. All this in the 1830's!!! He analyses the formative concepts of the social and economic life in the States and many of the concepts and aspects of day-to-day life of Americans are to be found even nowadays, there cemented in the social and economic life of that country. The reader , even in this abridged edition, which very adequately compacts the two voluminous full editions, will be at in a very gainfull position to get in contact with one of the most important thinkers who has given its precious mind to study what is behind the success of the United States as a nation. As a minor flip-side the book, in a very poor paperback edition, is very difficult to handle phisically and to peruse. But, as a bottom-line, the book is so good that I will order the unabridged version to read it in totum.

Rating:
Summary: The pioneer and still greatest American social observer
Review: How did an outsider, a foreign nobleman understand more about American democracy than so many learned observers from within? What gave DeTocqueville the capacity to understand fundamental characteristics of American life in such a way that even today his categories of description are meaningful to us?
DeTocqueville so some of the unique qualities of the American genius,the American capacity for association and free action together, the capacity to deal with the small details of everyday practical life while dreaming in the broadest terms.He saw the danger in this most democratic of societies of a tyranny of the majority which might make real freedom in difference of opinion difficult to maintain. He foresaw that two giants , the United States and Russia would at one stage come to take over the center of world political life. He marvelled at the rich capacity of Americans to risk and set out for the country ahead, to be pioneers westward.
He saw much about America which it is still possible to see today. And yet given the vast changes technical civilization has brought about, given the tremendous developments in all areas of human learning it is difficult to say that DeTocqueville can be the true and proper guide to the path of American democracy today.
What can be said is that he was the pioneer social observer who saw more into the essence of America than any native American did. And in doing so he left us a great literary classic rich in profound observations most of which are of course are not even hinted at in this small review.


Rating:
Summary: A whole course on political science
Review: It has been said that this is the best book about the US and the best book about democracy. Having just read it, I can say it is even more. Tocqueville reflects not only on the US or on democracy, but his comparative approach sheds light on the Europe of his times and before, on the nature of aristocracy and the inevitable democratic revolution which was on its way across the civilized world. Tocqueville was a realistic aristocrat, sometimes nostalgic for the "greatness" of yesterday, but bearing no illusions whatsoever about the feasibility of stopping democratic change. So, he sets to find out what is it about democracy that can work, and what its inherent risks are. And he decides to tour the grandest democratic experiment ever attempted by Man: the United States.

What Tocqueville finds is a unique nation. Unlike most other nascent states in history, the English who moved to America found a huge land, practically devoid of people (and in those cases where it was inhabited, they were easily killed), where everybody could be a landowner. This, plus the particular ethics of the Puritans, the glorifiaction of hard work, thrift and virtuosity, provided for a prosperous, practical people (not necessarily tolerant, especially in religious affairs). Far away from kings and emperors, Americans developed a communal democracy. So far so good, Tocquevill really admires the basic qualities of the US.

But this book is not a long eulogy of democracy. Tocqueville admits democracy is the best way to govern a modern society, but that does not mean he thinks it's perfect or endlessly beneficial. Democracy DOES poses risks: among others, the tyranny of the majority, the mediocrity towards which it impels mores; the loneliness of the individual, lost amidst an endless, faceless crowd.

Even for some minor mistaken attempts at prophecy, Tocqueville's prescience adn long-term vision is simply astonishing. He was right about the merits of democracy; he was right about its shortcomings. If he would come to the present-day US, he would probably find much to celebrate (prosperity, technological progress, widespread access to education, health, etc), and much to deplore, precisely the mediocrity of democratic tastes (think music, literature, cinema, art. etc).

Tocqueville's culture and knowledge are impressive, even more so considering how young he was when he travelled in the US. His style is conversational and straightforward, assertive but modest. The reader will find here a whole lot of wisdom and subjects to think about and it is simply one of the best books on politics and society ever written, one that is relevant todat as it was many years ago.

Rating:
Summary: The Foundation of Democratic Study. Period.
Review: Just reading the other reviews I'm astonished at the number of people who liked this book and didn't fully realize thay proved de Tocqueville right again. He points out that a materialistic society encourages each generation to not care a bit about previous/future generations. Its amazing how many people seem to think anything might be dated because it was written in 1830. Some things may have changed but the issues haven't. Ignore the date, this book is now.

It is a required reading by most Political Science dept. courses about American political thought. The most resonating critiques arise from his examination of the synergistic effect of individualism and materialism on democracy. Also he forbodes the ills of a strong centeralized government trampling on citizens- a warning calling out the need for strong local involvement by citizens.

With todays media its ironic that he calls Public Opinion the fourth branch of American government. I haven't seen the results of opinion polls on that last point though, I'm waiting for the Six O'clock news to tell me...