Democracy in America Summary

The project Tocqueville undertook in writing Democracy in America was a highly ambitious one. Having seen the failed attempts at democratic government in his native France, he wanted to study a stable and prosperous democracy to gain insights into how it worked. According to Tocqueville in Democracy in America, there are three main causes that maintain a democratic republic and allow it to "subsist in" the United States. The first is "the particular and accidental situation in which Providence has placed the Americans." This refers especially to the wealth of the natural resources of the New World and the equality of circumstance that is present from the start in America. The second trait, which maintains the democratic republic, is the laws. The last and most important cause is the mores.

Chapter 9: Causes Tending to Maintain a Democratic Republic in the United States

The United States is the only democracy which has been able to maintain itself without violence. This situation is not due only to geography, because in South America the people have not even been to maintain any sort of stable government. American legislation, as a whole, has also contributed to the success of democracy. But the greatest factor allowing the United States to maintain a democracy is mores.

Accidental or Providential Causes

The opening section primarily addresses the providential view of the nature of the country. A land abundant with a wealth of resources helped the United States to remain strong because it provided the means for general prosperity which aids government stability. Moreover, American union was isolated in the wilderness. It has no neighbors to battle against and therefore no great wars needed no great standing army. Consequently there were neither financial crises nor heavy taxes. Also a classless social state brought by "the first Puritan/Anglo-Americans who landed on its shores" gave the people the ability to remain equal and free. Furthermore, the absence of great capital that would have an influence over the whole land helps to maintain the local liberties which are so important for freedom.

The western migration is an extraordinary phenomenon, in which people band together in search of fortune. The restless spirit which drives people to move west is very good for the country, because it prevents the population from being concentrated in only a few places. Material concerns are what really move the American people, driving them to action and exerting a strong influence over their opinions.

Influence of the Laws

There are three main factors in these American laws that help to maintain a democratic republic in the United States: First, the federal form of government that combine the power of the empire with the sovereignty of the states. Second, the communal or municipal institutions moderate the tyranny of the majority and allow people to exercise their liberty through self-government in the townships. Third, the organization of judicial power through which judicial review acts as one of the best barriers against tyranny of political assemblies. The reason is that the courts are in some ways a-political (the judges are appointed and have very long terms in office) and do not have to bow constantly to the whims of the electorate as politicians do.

Influence of Mores upon the Maintenance of a Democratic Republic in the United States

Tocqueville uses the word mores to mean "the whole moral and intellectual states of a people." Mores are one of the great causes helping to maintain American democracy.

Religion Considered as a Political Institution and How it Powerfully Contributes to the Maintenance of a Democratic Republic among the Americans

Religion and politics go hand in hand in America, because the Christianity of the settlers was highly democratic and republican in character. There have also been many Catholic immigrants that came to America. Catholicism is actually very favorable to equality of condition, because the same standards and ideas apply to everyone. While the Catholics are very obedient on articles of faith, political ideas are believed to be open to debate, and consequently they are very independent citizens. Therefore all religious ideas in the United States are quite too conducive to democratic and republican institutions.

Indirect Influence of Religious Beliefs upon Political Society in the United States

Tocqueville experiences clearly demonstrate that society itself fares better as a result of religion's influence. It is very important for society that its members should profess some religion, because it provides a common morality. America is one of the most religious countries, and religious beliefs have a powerful influence in directing mores. In

morality, everything in America is certain and absolute, but in politics everything is up for debate. Religion is thus one of the most powerful forces working for the maintenance of democratic society.

The laws in democratic societies are relatively lenient, and there are few restrictions on the types of new legislation that can be enacted. This leniency can be dangerous, for it can lead to the enactment of laws which may apparently be for the benefit of society but which in fact can lead to tyranny. But , as Tocqueville asserts, "While the law allows the American people to do everything, there are things which religion prevents them from imagining and forbids them to dare." Religion therefore acts as a powerful force to prevent Americans from abusing their freedom in order to gain power at the cost of their countrymen's liberty. It is for the reason that Tocqueville claim that religion "should therefore be considered as the first of their political institutions, for although it did not give them the taste for liberty, it singularly facilitates their use thereof.

In fact, As a result of their excessive love for equality and their misunderstanding and lack of appreciation for liberty, democracies are in danger of degenerating into individualistic, unstable, materialistic, and even despotic/dictatorial societies. Religion is among the most effective and important counters to these maleficent tendencies of democratic nations. It is the primary political institution that teaches people how to use their freedom wisely .Tocqueville focuses on how religion fulfills this essential role.

One of the most important ways in which religion performs this task is through its influence on women. Women tend to be more influenced by religion than men, and women also have a very important role in shaping mores through their domestic work. The problem is that when domestic life is unsettled, disorderly and unstable, these tendencies carry over into political life as well. Thus, domestic life provides the American with "that love of order which he carries over into the affairs of the state."

What Tocqueville's analysis demonstrates is that religion is one of the key forces that tends to the preservation of democratic societies. Indeed, it is not too much to claim that in Tocqueville's opinion religion is the important and most necessary element in any democracy. It buoys up and corrects democratic societies at their weakest points, helping society to run more smoothly in both political and private matters, and helping individuals within society to leader happier and more fulfilling lives.

The Main Causes That Make Religion Powerful in America

Tocqueville's observations led him to argue in Democracy in America that Eighteenth-century philosophers were incorrect when they said that enlightenment would replace religion, because in America one finds that the most free and enlightened people are also the most religious. Religion is one of the main factors necessary for the maintenance of democratic society.

During his travel in America, Tocqueville found that the main reason for religion's strength in America is the separation of church and state. When church and state are separate, democracy and religion complement each almost perfectly, although tensions do exist between the two. In America the clergy never hold public office and are not politically active. While the power of religion seems diminished without an alliance with political power, it is actually stronger.

He came to understand that religion is not an accidental phenomenon which must be forced upon a people by the power of the government. Religion is natural state of mankind and widespread irreligiousness only comes about in unnatural circumstances. As a result of this natural religious inclination in man, separating the church from the state does not in any way reduce religion's force but actually tends to increase its strength in society.

Political power is by nature ephemeral, and thus if religion wants to have lasting influence it is best for it to remain independent of politics. The political sphere is constantly in a state of flux and is always changing according to public opinion. Even the most permanent and stable governments are not immune to changes in laws or even complete revolutions. This idea is especially true in democratic nations, where the sway of opinion can so easily change the social and legal arrangements. “Religion, on the other hand, is a timeless and eternal force in the heart of man. If it connects itself to earthly powers, religion will suffer the misfortune of being dragged down by the vicissitudes of politics: "Alone, [a religion] may hope for immortality”. Therefore it is particularly important that America has kept religion apolitical or completely separate from the political sphere. While religion in America may not have the same powerful external force that it does in nations where the church is connected to the state, "its influence is more lasting" because it has not tied itself to the transitory earthly regime.