Democracy in America

by Alexis de Tocqueville

 

“The very Deity itself both keepeth and requireth for ever this to be kept as a law, that wheresoever there is a coagmentation of many, the lowest be knit unto the highest by that which, being interjacent, may cause each to cleave to the other, and so all to continue one. This order of things in public societies is the work of policy, and the proper instrument thereof in every degree is Power; Power being that ability which we have of ourselves, or receive from others for performance of any action.”—Hooker.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

OF

THE FIRST VOLUME.

		Page.
Translator's Preface		v
Introduction		xiii
CHAPTER I.
Exterior form of North America		1
CHAPTER II.
Origin of the Anglo-Americans, and its importance in relation to their future condition		16
	Reasons of certain anomalies which the laws and customs of the Anglo-Americans present	46
CHAPTER III.
Social condition of the Anglo-Americans		49
	The striking characteristic of the social condition of the Anglo-Americans is its essential Democracy	ib.
	Political consequences of the social condition of the Anglo-Americans	61
CHAPTER IV.
The principle of the sovereignty of the people in America		64
CHAPTER V.
Necessity of examining the condition of the States before that of the Union at large		69
	The American system of townships and municipal bodies	71
	Limits of the townships	74
	Authorities of the township in New England	75
	Existence of the township	79
	Public spirit of the townships of New England	82
	The counties of New England	86
	Administration in New England	88
	General remarks on the Administration of the United States	103
	Of the State	110
	Legislative power of the State	111
	The executive power of the State	113
	Political effects of the system of local administration in the United States	115
CHAPTER VI.
Judicial power in the United States, and its influence on political society		135
	Other powers granted to the American Judges	144
CHAPTER VII.
Political jurisdiction in the United States		148
CHAPTER VIII.
The Federal Constitution		157
	History of the Federal Constitution	ib.
	Summary of the Federal Constitution	161
	Prerogative of the Federal Government	163
	Federal Powers	166
	Legislative Powers	ib.
	A further difference between the Senate and the House of Representatives	171
	The executive power	172
	Differences between the position of the President of the United States and that of a Constitutional King of France	175
	Accidental causes which may increase the influence of the Executive Government	180
	Why the President of the United States does not require the majority of the two Houses in order to carry on the Government	182
	Election of the President	184
	Mode of election	191
	Crisis of the election	196
	Re-election of the President	199
	Federal Courts	203
	Means of determining the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts	208
	Different cases of jurisdiction	211
	Procedure of the Federal Courts	219
	High rank of the Supreme Courts amongst the great powers of the State	223
	In what respects the Federal Constitution is superior to that of the States	227
	Characteristics which distinguish the Federal Constitution of the United States of America from all other Federal Constitutions	233
	Advantages of the Federal system in general, and its special utility in America	239
	Why the Federal system is not adapted to all peoples, and how the Anglo-Americans were enabled to adopt it	249
Appendix		263
	The Constitution of the United States	293
	The Constitution of the State of New York	313

DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA.

BY

ALEXIS DE TOCQUEVILLE,

AVOCAT À LA COUR ROYALE DE PARIS,
ETC., ETC.

TRANSLATED BY

HENRY REEVE, Esq.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

LONDON:

SAUNDERS AND OTLEY, CONDUIT STREET.

1835.