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In 1831, the French nobleman, Alexis de Tocqueville,
journeyed to America to examine a new political force: democracy.
Although alarmed by "the tyranny of the majority", Tocqueville
believed that democracy was destined to supplant the decaying
aristocracy of France. Tocqueville asked: Is the tendency toward
equality a tendency toward liberty? Can the majority be restrained
to protect the freedom of individuals and minorities?
In
pondering these questions, Tocqueville presented an unsurpassed
picture of American government, culture and attitudes. He proclaimed
a new nation with a new theory of human interaction: America,
ruled by the will of the majority. But what sort of human
being would this society produce? And could democratic man prosper
in Europe?
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