Democracy in America

In the early 19th century, a French sociologist and political scientist undertook a seven-month journey throughout the newly formed United States. Alexis de Tocqueville surveyed the young nation's religious, political, and economic character and reported his findings in two volumes, published in 1835 and 1840. Two centuries later, Democracy in America remains among the most astute and influential surveys of American politics and society.
de Tocqueville focuses on why republican representative democracy prevailed in the United States, tracing its success from the state of equality established by the early Puritan settlers through the American Revolution and adoption of the Constitution. His speculations on the future of democracy offer prescient, thought-provoking reading, and his classic work remains a touchstone for modern thinkers on government. This edition is based on the earliest approved translation, which has served as the standard version for over a century and comes closest to reflecting the author's insights as perceived by his contemporaries.

French diplomat and historian Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–59) is notable for both Democracy in America and The Old Regime and the Revolution. Both works analyzed the connections between national character and government, were influential in 19th-century discussions of liberalism and equality, and were rediscovered by sociologists and political scientists of the 20th century.

Volume IIntroductionI. Exterior Form of North AmericaII. Origin of the Anglo-Americans, and Importance of this Origin in Relation to Their Future ConditionIII. Social Condition of the Anglo-AmericansIV. The Principle of the Sovereignty of the People in AmericaV. Necessity of Examining the Condition of the States Before That of the Union at LargeVI. Judicial Power in the United States, and its Influence on Political SocietyVII. Political Jurisdiction in the United StatesVIII. The Federal ConstitutionIX. How it Can Be Strictly Said that the People Govern in the United StatesX. Parties in the United StatesXI. Liberty of the Press in the United StatesXII. Political Associations in the United StatesXIII. Government of the Democracy in AmericaXIV. What Are the Real Advantages Which American Society Derives from a Democratic GovernmentXV. Unlimited Power of the Majority in the United States, and Its ConsequencesXVI. Causes Which Mitigate the Tyranny of the Majority in the United StatesXVII. Principal Causes Which Tend to Maintain the Democratic Republic in the United StatesXVIII. The Present and Probable Future Condition of the Three Races Which Inhabit the Territory of the United StatesConclusion Volume IIFirst Book: Influence of Democracy Upon the Action of Intellect in the United States I. Philosophical Method of the AmericansII. Of the Principal Source of Belief Among Democratic NationsIII. Why the Americans Show More Aptitude and Taste for General Ideas than Their Forefathers, the EnglishIV. Why the Americans Have Never Been So Eager as the French for General Ideas in Political AffairsV. How Religion in the United States Avails Itself of Democratic TendenciesVI. The Progress of Roman Catholicism in the United StatesVII. What Causes Democratic Nations to Incline Towards PantheismVIII. How Equality Suggests to the Americans the Idea of the Indefinite Perfectibility of ManIX. The Example of the Americans Does Not Prove That a Democratic People Can Have No Aptitude and No Taste for Science, Literature, and ArtX. Why the Americans are More Addicted to Practical than Theoretical ScienceXI. In What Spirit the Americans Cultivate the ArtsXII. Why the Americans Raise Some Insignificant Monuments, and Others That Are Very GrandXIII. Literary Characteristics of Democratic TimesXIV. The Trade of LiteratureXV. The Study of Greek and Latin Literature is Peculiarly Useful in Democratic CommunitiesXVI. How the American Democracy Has Modified the English LanguageXVII. Of Some Sources of Poetry Amongst Democratic NationsXVIII. Why American Writers and Orators Often Use An Inflated StyleXIX. Some Observations on the Drama Amongst Democratic NationsXX. Some Characteristics of Historians in Democratic TimesXXI. Of Parliamentary Eloquence in the United States Second Book: Influence of Democracy on the Feelings of the Americans I. Why Democratic Nations Show a More Ardent and Enduring Love of Equality than of LibertyII. Of Individualism in Democratic CountriesIII. Individualism Stronger at the Close of a Democratic Revolution than at Other PeriodsIV. That the Americans Combat the Effects of Individualism by Free InstitutionsV. Of the Use Which the Americans Make of Public Associations in Civil LifeVI. Of the Relation Between Public Associations and the NewspapersVII. Relation of Civil to Political AssociationsVIII. How the Americans Combat Individualism by the Principle of Interest Rightly UnderstoodIX. That the Americans Apply the Principle of Interest Rightly Understood to Religious MattersX. Of the Taste for Physical Well-Being in AmericaXI. Peculiar Effects of the Love of Physical Gratifications in Democratic TimesXII. Why Some Americans Manifest a Sort of Fanatical SpiritualismXIII. Why the Americans are So Restless in the Midst of Their ProsperityXIV. How the Taste for Physical Gratifications is United in America to Love of Freedom and Attention to Public AffairsXV. How Religious Belief Sometimes Turns the Thoughts of the Americans to Immaterial PleasuresXVI. How Excessive Care for Worldly Welfare May Impair that WelfareXVII. How, When Conditions Are Equal and Scepticism is Rife, it is Important to Direct Human Actions to Distant ObjectsXVIII. Why Amongst the Americans All Honest Callings are Considered HonorableXIX. What Causes Almost All Americans to Follow Industrial CallingsXX. How An Aristocracy May Be Created by Manufacturers Third Book: Influence of Democracy on Manners Properly So Called I. How Manners are Softened as Social Conditions Become More EqualII. How Democracy Renders the Habitual Intercourse of the Americans Simple and EasyIII. Why the Americans Show So Little Sensitiveness in Their Own Country, and Are So Sensitive in EuropeIV. Consequences of the Three Preceding ChaptersV. How Democracy Affects the Relations of Masters and ServantsVI. How Democratic Institutions and Manners Tend to Raise Rents and Shorten the Terms of LeasesVII. Influence of Democracy on WagesVIII. Influence of Democracy on the FamilyIX. Education of Young Women in the United StatesX. The Young Woman in the Character of a WifeXI. How Equality of Condition Contributes to Maintain Good Morals in AmericaXII. How the Americans Understand the Equality of the SexesXIII. How the Principle of Equality Naturally Divides the Americans Into a Multitude of Small Private CirclesXIV. Some Reflections on American MannersXV. Of the Gravity of the Americans, and Why it Does Not Prevent Them from Often Doing Inconsiderate ThingsXVI. Why the National Vanity of the Americans is More Restless and Captious Than That of the EnglishXVII. How the Aspect of Society in the United States is At Once Excited and MonotonousXVIII. On Honor in the United States and in Democratic CommunitiesXIX. Why So Many Ambitious Men and So Little Lofty Ambitions Are to be Found in the United StatesXX. The Trade of Place-Hunting in Certain Democratic CountriesXXI. Why Great Revolutions Will Become More RareXXII. Why Democratic Nations are Naturally Desirous of Peace, and Democratic Armies of WarXXIII. Which is the Most Warlike and Most Revolutionary Class in Democratic ArmiesXXIV. Causes Which Render Democratic Armies Weaker Than Other armies at the Outset of a Campaign, and More Formidable in Protracted WarfareXXV. Of Discipline in Democratic ArmiesXXVI. Some Considerations on War in Democratic Communities Fourth Book: Influence of Democratic Ideas and Feelings on Political Society I. Equality Naturally Gives Men a Taste for Free InstitutionsII. That the Opinions of Democratic Nations about Government are Naturally Favorable to the Concentration of PowerIII. That the Sentiments of Democratic Nations Accord with Their Opinions in Leading Them to Concentrate Political PowerIV. Of Certain Peculiar and Accidental Causes, which Either Lead a People to Complete the Centralization of Government, or which Divert them From itV. That Amongst the European Nations or Our Time the Sovereign Power is Increasing, Although the Sovereigns are Less StableVI. What Sort of Despotism Democratic Nations Have to FearVII. Continuation of the Preceding ChaptersVIII. General Survey of the Subject AppendixDemocracy in SwitzerlandSpeech of M. De Tocqueville in the Chamber of Deputies, January 27, 1848Biographical Notice of De Tocqueville