Democracy in America

DemocracyinAmerica(1835-40)isarguablythemostperceptiveandinfluentialbookeverwrittenaboutAmericanpoliticsandsociety.ThisvolumepresentsAlexisdeTocqueville'smasterpieceinanentirelynewtranslation,thefirsttocapturefullytheprecisionandgraceofhisstylewhileprovidingarigorousandfaithfulrenderingofhisprofoundideasandobservations.InDemocracyinAmericahevividlydescribestheunprecedented"equalityofconditions"foundintheUnitedStatesandexploresitsimplicationsforEuropeansocietyintheemergingmodernera.Hisbookprovidesenduringinsightintothepoliticalconsequencesofwidespreadpropertyownership,thepotentialdangerstolibertyinherentinmajorityrule,theimportanceofcivilinstitutionsinanindividualisticculturedominatedbythepursuitofmaterialself-interest,theinfluenceofthepressandthejudiciaryinAmericanpolitics,andthevitalroleofreligioninAmericanlife,whilepropheticallyexaminingthewideningdifferencesbetweenthenorthernandsouthernstates.