Democracy in America

Although I highly recommend this book, you should investigate different translations before diving into reading a 900+ page opus. This edition was translated by Henry Reeve, a contemporary and an Englishman. That, unfortunately made some of the sentences extremely awkward. I swear I read a few sentences with triple negatives. Also, although updated with an occasional footnote about subsequent events that proved de Tocqueville either prescient or wrong, it still lacks the perspective from our modern era. Many sentences presume a contemporary understanding of terms that no longer are used or have changed meanings since 1840.

Still de Tocqueville's insights are not to be missed, especially chapter XVIII of Book 1, The present and future show more condition of the three races which inhabit the territory of the United States. His insights about the contemporary and likely future conditions of the American Indians and Blacks in the U.S. are astonishingly prescient. show less

Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville translated by Mansfield & Winthrop) I started this book sometime ago as part of my "US Famous Historical Documents/Books" read. This book seemed overwhelming; I'm not sure of de Tocqueville's thesis, so it was a bit difficult to figure out where he was going; and that is important to me when I read a non-fiction or historical document. My favorite parts were his observations on politicians, specifically Daniel Boone and Andrew Jackson, both of whom he found illiterate and unfit for office. de Tocqueville was also astounded at the "equality" he found in America. Everybody shaking hands, sitting in church together, and walking down the same street. Although in America in 1837 slaves, Native show more Americans, and women certainly were not equal, de Tocqueville certainly found it much different that the stratified classes of France. He also studied the US Constitution and warned against the tyranny of the majority. I think de Tocqueville got that wrong, in the US we have the tyranny of the minority. Although there was much repetition, I found this to be a thought provoking reading. 722 show less

Genius. Sheer genius. It seems like any book about American politics or history that I've read has at least one quote from this book, so I finally figured I should read it. Man, is this ever great. It's fascinating on so many levels. As history, it's primary source observations of a Frenchman who studied the United States in the 1830's. As a book on politics, it describes our government in depth, giving not just the facts of how it operates but also the rationale and history behind it. As a sociological tome, it mirrors the attitudes and behavior of the American people as well as contrasting those to the English and French. As a booster seat, it's nice and thick. It took me weeks to read (over a number of meals), and every day or so I show more found some tidbit to make me stop and think about the people around me--neighbors, co-workers, fellow church members. It's not a simple read, since Tocqueville, like other 19th century writers, is very lengthy and doesn't limit himself to one field of study. But it is definitely worth making an effort to read. Why I wasn't given this to read in high school, I don't know. Well, it's twenty years late, but I'm gonna put a copy on my shelf.
--J. show less

I bought this book in the aftermath of the 2016 election seeking to understand America. It's surprising how well parts of the book holds up as an analysis. The comparative approach - contrasting 19th century USA vs France - is a welcome, different way to analyze the subject. The "part 1" chapters are the strongest with significant evidence sourced. The later chapters leap into the realm of political theory and abstractions (e.g. how "equality" as a principle explains everything in society.... yet inequality of the sexes and the races only warrants passing mentions). For a book that is nearly two hundred years old, I found it a helpful text to understand America further.

Excellent first-hand analysis of the early decades of the USA, and its imperfect attempts to create a genuinely 'democratic' state, from an intellectual who had also witnessed the near-parallel development of the French state from the revolution to the dictatorship of Napoleon and beyond.

Alexis de Tocqueville compares with disinterested honesty 19th century Democracy, especially American democracy, with the European aristocracies that preceded it. In this two-volume work, he outlines both the benefits and dangers of both social orders. With the certain knowledge that the age of the aristocracy is passed, de Tocqueville writes with the ultimate hope that his book will serve as a warning to citizens under democratic rule, that they will not succumb to the apathy that is their greatest enemy, which would allow the government to pursue its natural tendency to metastasize into the private realm of citizen, governing an ever greater number of minutiae in the personal lives of its subjects, and annulling the freedom that was show more originally sought in creating a democracy show less

Definitely a very interesting book. The author provides some interesting insights into the political life and culture of America of the time. While some things are specific to the time period, such as some of the finer points of political culture, some of the broader strokes still seem pertinent today. Additionally, being French, de Tocqueville was able to provide an outsiders perspective on many details of the U.S. Overall, definitely worth reading.