Democracy in America

In 1831, the then twenty-seven year old Alexis de Tocqueville, was sent with Gustave de Beaumont to America by the French Government to study and make a report on the American prison system. Over a period of nine months the two traveled all over America making notes not only on the prison systems but on all aspects of American society and government. From these notes Tocqueville wrote "Democracy in America", an exhaustive analysis of the successes and failures of the American form of government, a republican representative democracy. Contained here is the unabridged first volume of that classic exposition as translated by Henry Reeve.

Over the course of nine months in 1831 Alexis de Tocqueville, a French political thinker, and accompanied by Gustave de Beaumont, travelled the United States under the pretext of studying the American prison system. Over the course of his travels, Tocqueville also studied American society, religion, politics, and economics, undertaking what would become one of the most comprehensive studies to that time of the practice of democracy in the United States. Democracy in America: Volume I explores the factors that contributed to the success of democracy in the United States, as well as the possible future of democracy in light of the unique religion and socio-economic factors that existed in the United States at that time. It was first published in 1835, preceding Volume II by approximately five years. Democracy in America is today considered one of the foundational works of political science.

Over the course of nine months in 1831 Alexis de Tocqueville, a French political thinker, and accompanied by Gustave de Beaumont, travelled the United States under the pretext of studying the American prison system. Over the course of his travels, Tocqueville also studied American society, religion, politics, and economics, undertaking what would become one of the most comprehensive studies to that time of the practice of democracy in the United States. Democracy in America: Volume II continues Tocqueville's exploration of the nature of democracy in the United States, including an analysis of American civil society. Democracy in America was published in two volumes in 1835 and 1840, and is today considered one of the foundational works of political science.

In 1831, the then twenty-seven year old Alexis de Tocqueville, was sent with Gustave de Beaumont to America by the French Government to study and make a report on the American prison system. Over a period of nine months the two traveled all over America making notes not only on the prison systems but on all aspects of American society and government. From these notes Tocqueville wrote "Democracy in America", an exhaustive analysis of the successes and failures of the American form of government, a republican representative democracy. Contained here are both of the unabridged volumes of that classic exposition as translated by Henry Reeve.

Over the course of nine months in 1831 Alexis de Tocqueville, a French political thinker, accompanied by Gustave de Beaumont, travelled the United States under the pretext of studying the American prison system. Over the course of his travels, Tocqueville also studied American society, religion, politics, and economics, undertaking what would become one of the most comprehensive studies to that time of the practice of democracy in the United States. First published in 1835, Democracy in America continues to be considered one of the foundational works of political science. Democracy in America: Volumes I and II includes both volumes of de Tocqueville's influential work. Volume I explores the factors that contributed to the success of democracy in the United States, as well as the possible future of democracy in light of the unique religion and socio-economic factors that existed in the United States at that time. Volume II continues Tocqueville's exploration of the nature of democracy in the United States, including an analysis of American civil society.

In 1831, the then twenty-seven year old Alexis de Tocqueville, was sent with Gustave de Beaumont to America by the French Government to study and make a report on the American prison system. Over a period of nine months the two traveled all over America making notes not only on the prison systems but on all aspects of American society and government. From these notes Tocqueville wrote "Democracy in America", an exhaustive analysis of the successes and failures of the American form of government, a republican representative democracy. Tocqueville believed that over the past seven hundred years the social and economic conditions of humanity were progressively becoming more equal. The future was, in his opinion, inevitably drawing humanity towards the democratic ideal thus diminishing the power of the aristocracy. Tocqueville's predictions of the changing nature of human civilization seem almost clairvoyant in retrospect. First published in two volumes in 1835 and 1840, "Democracy in America" remains one of the most important historical documents of America and political analysis of its form of government. This edition includes both unabridged volumes as translated by Henry Reeve and an introduction by John Bigelow.