Tocqueville Essay
Tocqueville Essay
Alexis de Tocqueville believed that government control lied within the majority of the United States. He believed the United States to be a land of equality, liberty, and political wisdom, and considered it a land where the government only served as a voice for its citizens. However, abuse of that power can lead the majority to exceed its limits. The majority had a strong influence on not just the government, but also the whole nation. However, this was untrue for the minority. The minorities’ views were rarely heard. They had practically no say in who they wanted to elect, as the majority held most of the power.
Tocqueville compared the American system of government to other forms of European governments. In the European governments, the people had no power, or say in how they wanted their government run. He praised the system of American government for its success, and held it as a role model for what European governments would eventually conform to. Despite the praise he gave the American government, Tocqueville had reservations. With great power comes great responsibility, and if the majority rules the American people, who ruled the majority? This is where the majority exceeding its limits comes into play. This affected the United States as the minority did not get a say in how they wanted their government to be run. He feared that all the virtues he honored would be endangered by the “tyranny of the majority”. The American Government was successful, but still contained flaws. Tocqueville believed that in order to keep the country from the “tyranny of the majority”, more power would need to be given to the minority to balance the power of the people and keep the majority from abusing their power.
Alexis de Tocqueville believed that government control lied within the majority of the United States. He believed the United States to be a land of equality, liberty, and political wisdom, and considered it a land where the government only served as a voice for its citizens. However, abuse of that power can lead the majority to exceed its limits. The majority had a strong influence on not just the government, but also the whole nation. However, this was untrue for the minority. The minorities’ views were rarely heard. They had practically no say in who they wanted to elect, as the majority held most of the power.
Tocqueville compared the American system of government to other forms of European governments. In the European governments, the people had no power, or say in how they wanted their government run. He praised the system of American government for its success, and held it as a role model for what European governments would eventually conform to. Despite the praise he gave the American government, Tocqueville had reservations. With great power comes great responsibility, and if the majority rules the American people, who ruled the majority? This is where the majority exceeding its limits comes into play. This affected the United States as the minority did not get a say in how they wanted their government to be run. He feared that all the virtues he honored would be endangered by the “tyranny of the majority”. The American Government was successful, but still contained flaws. Tocqueville believed that in order to keep the country from the “tyranny of the majority”, more power would need to be given to the minority to balance the power of the people and keep the majority from abusing their power.