The dangers facing American
democracy as interpreted by Alexis De Tocqueville
Written
by Alexis De Tocqueville, the Democracy
in America is a highly ambitious book that studies the deeper context of
the state of democracy in America during the 19th century. He wanted
to gain additional insights on how a democratic country actually works, after
having witnessed the failed attempts of France to maintain and uphold a
democratic form of government. But because the 19th century has seen
an increasing trend towards the shift to democracy, De Tocqueville travelled to
America to uncover how democracy works – including its strengths – and what are
the dangers faced by these kinds of government.
The
book is divided into two parts. The first volume provides a general and more
positive insight about democracy, including the structure of the government and
the various institutions that help maintain democracy, freedom and equality
among the population. The second volume, on the other hand, delves into the
individual effects of democracy on the mores and thoughts prevalent in the
society. Taking the entire work as a whole, there are several problems that a
democratic country faces and these include the following: selfishness and
individualism.
Materialism,
selfishness and individualism, therefore, are three side-effects that could
increase the chance of having a despotic government. According to De
Tocqueville, individualism has a democratic origin, but as the condition of the
government grows more stable and progressive, it could become an inevitable
threat. The main reason for this is that individualism resulting from equality
could make the people more focused on themselves and not on the larger society
that governs them. When this happens, there would be no more societal duties or
bonds that hold people together; unlike in an aristocratic government, where
people are obliged and forced to realize that they are dependent and reliant
with one another. This means that too much materialism, selfishness and
individualism could contribute to the development of despotism, because once
citizens grow too individualistic, they will never fulfill or perform their
duties and even exercise their freedom and liberty. This passion for
materialism and selfishness means that people want to obtain more wealth and
power as everyone else does. From this, despotism could grow and become more
dangerous eventually disregarding the teachings and mores of democracy.
The
effect of this, according to De Tocqueville, is that people could become so absorbed
with materialistic things and individual power in pursuit of wealth and
comfort, neglecting or abandoning their roles and duties as members of the
democratic society. They may even realize that democracy should be abandoned,
because aristocracy is more favorable for them to preserve their wealth, which
means that benevolent despotism is born from the selfishness, materialism and
individualism that satisfy the interest of the people. These are just some of
the despotic tendencies that threaten to ruin the progress of a democratic
government, and these are the observations that De Tocqueville had during his
travel to the United States.
In
this paper, we have discussed the various dangers faced by a democratic
country, as outlined by Alexis De Tocqueville. But even if there are several
disadvantages that democracy could bring, it could be combated through
successful implementation of the following – influential and independent
judiciary branches; local self-government, well-educated minorities including
women, freedom of the press and association, and de-centralization of
administrative powers. Through these strategies, De Tocqueville imagines a
utopian government where “equality is to lead to servitude or freedom,
knowledge and prosperity” (226). Through his ambitious work, De Tocqueville hoped
to instill the ideals of freedom and equality to direct people into a balanced
and harmonious democracy.
Works Cited
De Tocqueville, Alexis. Democracy in America. 1969. New York: Anchor. Print.
More Essays on Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America:
1. Individualism and Self-Interest for Alexis de Tocqueville
2. Freedom and Equality for De Tocqueville
More Essays on Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America:
1. Individualism and Self-Interest for Alexis de Tocqueville
2. Freedom and Equality for De Tocqueville
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