Study Guide for Democracy in America, by Alexis de Tocqueville

This study guide is to help you read and understand selections from Tocqueville's Democracy in America and relate them to the lectures in HIST 104. I'll give you some introductory context for the book here.

Background on Democracy in America

First, let me point out the importance of Democracy in America as a primary document in American history. I suspect that this is the most quoted, most cited of all sources on the American character and American nationhood. In other words, we are reading a classic, not some textbook. This is a book you ought to know something about. It's one that may be useful to you in other college course work, too—as a source of insights, quotations, and authority. That's why at the conclusion of this page I have placed a brief bibliography—a list of sources I have consulted in order to enlighten my own reading of Tocqueville.

Second, I'd like you to understand that Democracy in America is part of a specific genre of literature, that is, a particular type of writing common at a particular time. This genre still flourishes today, but its heyday was in the 19th century, Tocqueville's time. It's called a "travel narrative." Other examples of this genre were Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe; Three Years Before the Mast, by Richard Henry Dana; Innocents Abroad, by Mark Twain; and The Oregon Trail, by Francis Parkman. In recent times we have Travels with Charley, by John Steinbeck, and Blue Highways, by William Least Heat Moon. A travel narrative may be nonfiction (autobiographical) or fiction (a novel), but it commonly has certain themes--almost a formula. In a travel narrative, the narrator leaves civilization behind, and he does so with a quest in mind. He is looking for something. In search of that thing, he travels to far places and encounters exotic peoples. These experiences cause him to be changed somehow, to think in new ways—they make an impression on him. So then he returns to civilization, recounts the wonders he has seen, and tells how the experience has changed him, or what he has learned.

For an on-line version of TQ, along
with some great context material, go to
University of Virginia Hypertexts.

Third, you need to know a little something about the French Revolution. Tocqueville was interested in what was going on in America because of what was going on in France. Americans declared their independence from the British Empire in 1776 and soon afterward founded a democratic republic--a radical new form of government. Americans believed that in doing so they were fulfilling a destiny assigned them by God, showing the rest of the world the way to leave autocracy and aristocracy behind and follow the star of democracy. Then came the French Revolution in 1789. In some ways it was similar to the American Revolution, but in other ways it was different. For one thing, the French Revolution was a class struggle, a revolt of the masses against rule by the elite; it was more radical than the American Revolution. For another thing, the French Revolution took a more desperate and dangerous turn. During the Reign of Terror the revolutionary authorities executed countless enemies of the people. Moreover, the French republic, the French experiment in democracy, was vulnerable. If you know the story of Napoleon, then you know that after the fall of monarchy, France wavered between democracy and dictatorship. As Tocqueville said, "In the French Revolution there were two opposite tendencies which must not be confused; one favored freedom, the other despotism."

Consider that quotation, and the many other observations by Tocqueville that have proven prescient or timeless, and you arrive at the rationale for reading Tocqueville in relation to any period of American history. The book, although it originated in a particular place and time, is not about any particular place or time. It is about the dynamics of democracy, how we as a democratic people define and debate things, how we work things out among ourselves, how we look at the rest of the world, how we sometimes do great things, how we sometimes go astray.

Getting Started on Your Own

Now, the first things I want you to read for this course are the two introductions to Democracy in America. The first introduction is by the editor, Richard D. Heffner. This, then, is secondary writing, providing us with background about Tocqueville and his book. The second introduction is by Tocqueville himself, telling us what he is trying to do in his book. You are responsible for knowing the content of these two introductions. Here are a few questions you might ask yourself.

· What sort of a man was Alexis de Tocqueville? What was his background?

· Why did he come to America in 1831-32? What was his quest?

· Why does Tocqueville want to study American democracy? Why is the subject important? What does he think of democracy? What is the future of democracy?

Online Discussions of Readings

Most of the rest of this web page is devoted to a study guide providing study questions for specific chapters, or essays, in Democracy in America. It's organized according to lecture topics. I want you to read certain essays in conjunction with certain lectures delivered in class. Now and then in lecture I will make reference to Tocqueville, making a connection for you, but most of the discussion of Tocqueville will take place online, in the discussion sections of the listserv, Cumberland Gap. To stay current, you will have to keep checking the web site calendar, keep checking your email, and keep coming to class.

Here's how the online discussions work. By checking the calendar, you know what essays you are supposed to be reading. Keep up! Because at the appropriate time, in relation to the progress in lecture, you are expected to discuss the readings online. Follow the cues in the course calendar, sometimes reiterated with an email message or an announcement in class. Post your comments to the list, and stay tuned for discussion with your section-mates.

Comments, what comments? Well, you can respond to one of the study questions given below; I expect many postings will be along those lines. But you also can write about other things. You can apply what Tocqueville says to American life, you can dispute what he says, you can express puzzlement with what he is trying to say. You are encouraged, too, to reply to one another via the list, asking questions or giving comments, so as to improve understanding of the reading by all members of the discussion section.

You don't have to comment on every reading assignment, but your contributions to the listserv discussions are the largest element in determining your participation grade in the course. Quality of responses is considered along with quantity, but if by the end of semester you haven't posted 15 or more responses to readings or to others, I'd say you would be below average.

What is the appropriate style and tone for writing these postings? I think the tone is conversational, as if you were writing a letter to a friend. This isn't formal writing, it's expressive writing, intended to convey your own response to the readings. On the other hand, it should not be sloppy. Pay attention to matters of style—clean up your grammar and punctuation, write good sentences, be considerate of your readers. (Some people seem to think that email doesn’t require capitalization or punctuation. Try that on the job when you get out of here!)

Please be timely and keep up with the work. The idea of these online discussions of Tocqueville is that by writing your impressions and responding to one another, you come to a better understanding of the readings than if you just did them alone. If you lag behind, and you post comments about one set of readings when others already have moved on, then you not helping. Such late messages are just clutter that makes the list less useful for others. Of course, sometimes exchanges of discussion about a particular item can go on for some time, and that's fine—go with the flow. Just don't be negligent about the work and then try to catch up with messages that are not timely.

Questions? If you don't know what to do, ask the teaching assistant, or a classmate, or me.

Lecture		Tocqueville Chapter		Discussion Questions
1	History & Mythistory	Introductions		See discussion and questions above
2	The Great American Desert	20	Why the Americans Are More Addicted to Practical than to Theoretical Science	Chapter 20 is important to us here in a land-grant university, founded under the authority of the Morrill Act of 1862. It is of particular importance here in North Dakota, on the Great Plains, the last frontier—because F.J. Turner tells us that Americans, with their frontier heritage, are practical people.	In universities we often speak of "pure research" and "applied research." What are Tocqueville's words and categories to make the same sort of distinction in science?
					What effect does democracy have on the practice of science?
					What would Tocqueville say about the sort of science we do at land-grant universities?
		35	How Democracy Renders the Habitual Intercourse of the Americans Simple and Easy	Chapter 35 also has particular pertinence to life on the plains. We take it for granted that in this part of the country we value plain speaking, informal ways, and egalitarian manners—we don't put on airs.	Why, according to Tocqueville, are the English stuck up?
					Why, on the other hand, are Americans easy-going and friendly?
					Does what Tocqueville says have any special importance or application to this part of the country?
3	The Threshold of Unparalleled Success	18	Equality Suggests to the Americans the Idea of the Indefinite Perfectibility of Man	Americans, with their revolutionary heritage and frontier background, are great believers in progress, in the idea that things are getting better and better. Chapter 18 pertains to this American belief in progress—a basic value of industrializing America.	What is the doctrine of human perfectibility?
					Give of an example of this doctrine affecting modern life in America.
		34	How an Aristocracy May Be Created by Manufactures	In Chapter 34 Tocqueville is writing about the economic concepts of, to use modern economists' terms, division of labor and economy of scale—also essential assumptions for industrial America.	What is division of labor, the organization of work in industry that Tocqueville is talking about?
					How does division of labor engender a new aristocracy?
					Is the aristocracy of manufacturing a dangerous aristocracy?
4	The American Dream	12	Unlimited Power of the Majority in the United States and Its Consequences	In Chapter 12 Tocqueville puts forward his most famous and controversial concept, the "tyranny of the majority." He applies this both to political life and to social custom. In this course I intend also to connect Tocqueville's ideas of majority rule and minority rights to the subjects of immigration and ethnicity.	What is "tyranny of the majority"? Can you give an example?
					Comment on: "When I refuse to obey an unjust law, I do not contest the right of the majority to command, but I simply appeal from the sovereignty of the people to the sovereignty of mankind."
					Is there true freedom of thought in the United States, a democracy?
					Can you apply Tocqueville's ideas to questions of national unity, group rights, and individual liberties such as are debated in America today?
5	The Farmer Is the Man	3	The Sovereignty of the People in America	Sovereignty is where power comes from, where the power lies. It seems appropriate that in connection with lecture material on the People's Party, we should read about the sovereignty of the people.	Tocqueville says, "The people reign in the American political world as the Deity does in the universe." If that were so, then why did the Populist movement arise outside the regular political parties?
					Tocqueville also says that "the wily and despotic of every age" would abuse the idea of "the will of the nation." What is he talking about here?
6	The Splendid Little War	44	Why the National Vanity of the Americans Is More Restless and Captious than that of the English	Tocqueville believes that Americans are way too sensitive about national honor and vanity.	Did the national vanity of Americans play a part in the Spanish War?
					Is Tocqueville right in his opinions about sensitive Americans? Have you seen any evidence of it in discussions in your list?
7	The Welfare of the People	48	Why Great Revolutions Will Become More Rare	Tocqueville can help us understand the reforms of the Progressive Movement by explaining why Americans are a reforming people. In our system we reform, that is, we make changes to the existing system by increments, rather than having revolutions. Let's discuss why.	So—why don't democracies have revolutions?
					Progressivism was not revolutionary, but reformist. It sought not to overthrow the American system but to preserve it by reforming it. According to Tocqueville, then, what class of society would be most interested in such reform?
8	Making the World Safe for Democracy	49	Why Democratic Nations Are Naturally Desirous of Peace, and Democratic Armies of War	In 1917 President Wilson led the nation into war to "make the world safe for democracy." The U.S. is a democratic nation, he said, and we are fighting for democracy throughout the world. This is a good place to talk about how democratic Americans think about war.	The United States was reluctant and slow to enter the Great War. It started in 1914; the U.S. entered the conflict in 1917. What would Tocqueville say about this?
9	The Roaring Twenties	39	Young Women in a Democracy	It's interesting to read Tocqueville's comments on women in a democracy in association with the study of the shocking behavior of young women in the 1920s.	Describe the young American woman as Tocqueville observed her. How does he account for her position?
					How does the status of a married woman differ from that of a young single woman?
10	Hard Times	53	That the Opinions of Democratic Nations About Government Are Naturally Favorable to the Concentration of Power	In these two chapters, Tocqueville argues "that the principle of equality suggests to men the notion of a sole, uniform, and strong government."	Why does equality lead to a more powerful government enforcing uniformity?
		54	That the Sentiments of Democratic Nations Accord with Their Opinions in Leading Them to Concentrate Political Power
					Why do you think I have asked you to read these chapters in connection with the study of Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal?
					Evaluate Tocqueville's conclusion: "I am of opinion, that, in the democratic ages which are opening upon us, individual independence and local liberties will ever be the products of art; that centralization will be the natural government."
11	The Greatest Generation	50	Causes Which Render Democratic Armies Weaker than Other Armies at the Outset of a Campaign, and More Formidable in Protracted Warfare	In this chapter Tocqueville describes the condition of armies in a democracy, and how a democracy responds when engaged in war.	Place yourself in the position of President Roosevelt immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor. As a student of Tocqueville, what encouragement might you offer the American people?
12	Toe to Toe with the Roosskies	15	Future Prospects of the United States	This chapter contains one of Tocqueville's most-cited pieces of prophecy, one worth considering in connection with the Soviet-American rivalry of the Cold War.	Why does Tocqueville predict the United States is to become a great nation?
					How does it compare in character with Russia?
13	I Have a Dream	52	Equality Naturally Gives Men a Taste for Free Institutions	This brief chapter has to do with the relationship between equality and order.	Can you relate this essay to our study of the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s?
		41	How the Americans Understand the Equality of the Sexes	In this chapter Tocqueville describes what came to be known as the "separate spheres" of men and women in America.	What are the virtues of such separate spheres?
					Why do you think this conception of gender relations came under attack in the 1960s?
14	Stretching the Generation Gap	56	Chapter 56, What Sort of Despotism Democratic Nations Have to Fear	This is Newt Gingrich's favorite chapter. Oddly enough, I think it also could have been a favorite of student radicals during the era of the Viet Nam War.	What sort of despotism is likely to occur in a democracy?
					How may citizens in a democracy prevent, or at least moderate, such despotism?
15	Millennium	25	Some Characteristics of Historians in Democratic Times	Chapter 25 is concerned with how historians explain things—with causation, in other words. There are ideas here that apply to some of the explanations of Populism you will get in lecture.	What are the two types of historical explanation noted by Tocqueville? Which type is employed by democratic historians?
					Based on Tocqueville's definitions, and on what you have heard thus far, is the instructor of this course a democratic historian?

Professor Isern’s Tocqueville Bibliography

Adams, Percy G. Travel Literature and the Evolution of the Novel. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1983.

Brogan, Hugh. Alexis de Tocqueville: A Life. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1007.

Jardin, Andre. Tocqueville: A Biography. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1988.

Lévy, Bernard Henri. American Vertigo: Traveling America in the Footsteps of Tocqueville. New York: Random House, 2006.

Pierson, George Wilson. Tocqueville and Beaumont in America. New York: Oxford University Press, 1938.

Reeves, Richard. American Journey: Traveling with Tocqueville in Search of Democracy in America. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1982.

Schleifer, James T. The Making of Tocqueville's Democracy in America. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1980.

Stout, Janis P. The Travel Narrative in American Literature: Patterns and Departures. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1983.

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