Alexis De
Tocqueville
“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It
can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse
from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for
the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the
result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always
followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest
civilizations has been 200 years.”
1- Why
can’t democracy survive? What
choices made by the people will end democracy?
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2 –
What connections do you see to America and its citizens today?
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“When the taste for
physical gratifications among them has grown more rapidly than their education
. . . the time will come when men are carried away and lose all self-restraint
. . . . It is not necessary to do violence to such a people in order to strip
them of the rights they enjoy; they themselves willingly loosen their hold. . .
. they neglect their chief business which is to remain their own masters.”
3 –
The author claims it will not take violence to strip us of our rights? When and why will we allow it? _________________________________________________________________
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4 –
What connections do you see to America and its citizens today?
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“America is great because she is
good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”
5 - Do you agree?
Explain! _________________________________________________________________
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“There are two things which a democratic people will always find
very difficult - to begin a war and to end it.”
6 - Do you agree?
Explain!
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“Society will develop a new kind of servitude which covers the
surface of society with a network of complicated rules, through which the most
original minds and the most energetic characters cannot penetrate. It does not
tyrannize but it compresses, enervates, extinguishes, and stupefies a people,
till each nation is reduced to nothing better than a flock of timid and
industrious animals, of which the government is the shepherd.”
7 –
What can make Americans into stupid sheep? _________________________________________________________________
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8 –
What connections do you see to America and its citizens today?
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“What good does it do me, after all, if an ever-watchful
authority keeps an eye out to ensure that my pleasures will be tranquil and
races ahead of me to ward off all danger, sparing me the need even to think
about such things, if that authority, even as it removes the smallest thorns
from my path, is also absolute master of my liberty and my life; if it monopolizes
vitality and existence to such a degree that when it languishes, everything
around it must also languish; when it sleeps, everything must also sleep; and
when it dies, everything must also perish?
9 – Is
it good to have a government that takes care of you? (cradle to grave)
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10 –
What connections do you see to America and its citizens today?
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GLOSSARY
Largess
– money
Fiscal
– economic
Gratification
– enjoyment, pleasure
Cease
– stop
Enervate
- drain energy
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Industrious
– hard working
Tranquil
– peaceful, safe
Ward
– stop, push away
Vitality
– life
Languish
– fail, suffer
Perish
- die
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Name:
__________________________________________ Class:
_____________
Aim:
Do Now:
Read the quote several times and answer the questions completely.
“The Americans dwell in a
land of wonders in which everything is in a continual state of motion and every
movement seems a step forward. The
concept of newness is, therefore, intimately bound up in their minds with that
of improvement. Nowhere do they
see any limit placed by nature upon man’s efforts; in their eyes, whatever does
not exist has simply not yet been tried…
For Americans, their whole lives are spent as if in a game of chance, in
time of revolution or a day of battle.“
1 – Summarize
the main points of the above passage in at
least 2 sentences.
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2 – Is the author referring to every American when he says,
“nowhere do they see any limit place by nature upon man’s efforts”? Explain your answer.
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3 – What does the author think about the American dream? Does he support it? Based on what is written above, does he
think it is real? Explain your
answer!
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Name: ____________________________________ Class:
______________
HW#1
Read
summary below and annotate. Answer
the questions completely on a separate sheet of paper. Look up any words you do not
understand. Be prepared to use and
discuss your answers. No
excuses! Quality always counts!
Main Ideas of Alexis de
Tocqueville’s Democracy in America
The primary focus of Democracy
in America was to provide an analysis of representative democracy in the
United States. Alexis de Tocqueville examined America with a particular focus
upon the strengths and weaknesses of our system based on what he viewed through
his travels. A few interesting observations that he made:
• He stated that Americans largely respect the
laws because they are essentially derived from citizens.
• He stated that the major strength of our law
system is the ability that the judicial system has to correct itself.
• He stated that many Americans share the common
value that hard work will bring success and greater wealth.
• He stated that the separation of the church and
the state (and societal acceptance of it) was also a strength of the American
system.
• He did not believe that blacks and Indians
would ever be viewed on equal terms as whites, and he correctly predicted that
the slavery conflict would later become a significant problem for the United
States
• As a criticism, he stated that while democracy
is powerful because it involves the active participation of the people, some
citizens are not informed enough to make the best decisions about electing
proper leadership.
• Also as a criticism, he stated that because the
majority always win in a democratic system, individuals among the minority have
to suffer the rule of the majority, even though they do not agree. He called this
the “tyranny of the majority”. He
stated this could also lead to mass conformity to the majority opinion not out
of agreement, but for personal security.
Questions
1 – In your own words explain 2 ways American
democracy is a good thing.
2 – In your own words explain 2 possible problems
with our democracy.
3 – Explain how Tocqueville’s words apply to
American and its citizens today.
Name: ____________________________________ Class:
______________
After
reading and annotating the chapter answer the questions
completely. Use the
glossary to define any words you do not understand. Be prepared to use and discuss your answers. No excuses! Quality always counts!
Analysis Questions: Chapter 13 - Democracy in America
1. What differences does de Tocqueville make
between the heads of power in aristocratic governments and statesmen in
democracies?
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2. In paragraph three, De Tocqueville says “The
result is that the rulers of aristocracies are less tempted by corruption and
have a very modest liking for money, whereas the opposite occurs in democracies.”
Explain, in your own words what the argument of this passage is.
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3. What does de Tocqueville say about the ability
of a person in a democracy to buy his way into office, in comparison with a
noble in an aristocracy? Do
you agree? Expain
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4. De
Tocqueville wrote, “dishonest passions reside in every rank of society…” State
whether you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your
answer. ______________________________________________________________________
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5. What does the author say about how ordinary
citizens in a democracy view the rise of an average person to a place of power?
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6. In a democracy, citizens are ideally free from
abuse and corruption in the government because power is derived from the
people. Yet, de Tocqueville makes several criticisms as to why this is not the
case. Based on prior knowledge (and what you learned today), what are three
different arguments you can make against our democratic system.
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7. In the conclusion of the passage, de
Tocqueville states that the basic reason for an individual’s success in getting
elected is due to their willingness to engage in immoral practices, such as
lying, cheating, making false promises, etc. Do you, as a group, agree or
disagree with this perspective? Explain your reasoning!
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Glossary
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Aristocracy – nobility, upper class
Endeavor – try, work at
Vices – bad
habits
Prejudicial – harmful, hurtful, damaging
Pernicious – destructive, evil
Mutually – together
Inveigh – fight or protest against
Facilitate – help, make easy
Auction – sale
Covetous – strongly desire
Confer – give, grant
Render – cause to be
Nugatory – not valuable or important
Reproach – criticism, blame
Probity – honesty, goodness
Assailed – attacked
Dread –
fear
Base practices – evil actions
Afford – give to
Virtue – good, positive
qualities
Ascend – climb up to
Depravity – evil, corruption
Turpitude – wickedness, evil
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Pillage – rob, take, destroy
Mean – low,
poor quality
Obscure – not well known
Attribute – give credit
Tacitly – to know without saying
Conjecture – guess, speculate
Impute – give credit
Odious – hateful, obnoxious
Utility – convenience
Hitherto
– to this point
Conscription – forced into military
Impressment – kidnapping
Implicitly – totally, completely
Prompt – quick, immediate
Tenacity – stubborn, determination
Oligarchy – a small group that
controls a country
Republican – ruled by elected representatives
Subsist – manage to survive
Commencement – start
Betoken – a sign
of, indicate
Zeal – excitement,
enthusiasm
Prolonged - extended
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