Tocqueville On Democracy In America

In his work, Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville details his experience with the curious case of American democracy. Unlike most other nations that embrace the system, the United States developed it almost naturally and without much strife. There was a certain equality of conditions present about those in the New World; no one was automatically set above anyone else in social stature. All arrived to start anew, and were, with the exception of the relatively few Southern plantation owners, uniformly educated and wealthy. In these conditions a social state emerged that was “eminently democratic” (46). This led to not only an overwhelming abundance of equality among the citizens, but also an inherent danger. It was equality that became the defining principle in the regime. In the desperation to remain equal, the people were more likely to resort to eschewing their personal liberty, …show more content…
Despotism easily creeps in through the overwhelming desire of the people to be equal in all things whether they are all the same in greatness or in slavery. As long as the appearance of uniformity presents itself, the people are mollified and content. This is further demonstrated in the next paragraph where he writes that though the people love freedom and will “dash towards it with rapid impulse and sudden effort”, equality will always be “the principle and continuous object of their desire” (52). This sentiment is due largely in fact to the lack of any sort of aristocratic element. Within an aristocratic society, there is always a set of distinct and concrete interests and virtues that are promulgated clearly. The aristocrats hold much of the power and thus the direction the populace is expected to go is nearly set in stone. In order to keep their prestige and position, nothing can be left to