Synthesized answer
The potential tension between "The Principle Of The Sovereignty Of The People" and "Unlimited Power Of Majority, And Its Consequences" lies in the potential for the majority to wield absolute authority, unchecked by any other power. The passages state that "the very essence of democratic government consists in the absolute sovereignty of the majority; for there is nothing in democratic States which is capable of resisting it" [1, 5]. This unlimited power can lead to a situation where the majority can crush those in its path without heed [2].
This tension is central to understanding American democracy because while all authority originates in the will of the majority [3], this power is prone to abuse [4]. The Americans have, in fact, augmented the natural strength of the majority through artificial means, such as quick legislative turnover [2, 5]. The danger is that this unchecked power can lead to tyranny, even though the author asserts that a nation should be bound by a general law of justice, representing a majority of mankind [3]. The passages suggest that while the people's sovereignty is fundamental, the unlimited power of the majority poses significant dangers to the…
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From the book
no surer means of satisfying them than by equalizing the conditions of men, and establishing democratic institutions. But if the time be passed at which such a choice was possible, and if some superhuman power impel us towards one or the other of these two governments without consulting our wishes, let us at least endeavor to make the best of that which is allotted to us; and let us so inquire into its good and its evil propensities as to be able to foster the former and repress the latter to the utmost. Chapter XV: Unlimited Power Of Majority, And Its Consequences—Part I …
nize the right of the majority, because they all hope to turn those rights to their own advantage at some future time. The majority therefore in that country exercises a prodigious actual authority, and a moral influence which is scarcely less preponderant; no obstacles exist which can impede or so much as retard its progress, or which can induce it to heed the complaints of those whom it crushes upon its path. This state of things is fatal in itself and dangerous for the future. How The Unlimited Power Of The Majority Increases In America The Instability Of Legislation And…
ghtened spirit of our time, dungeons might be met with which reminded the visitor of the barbarity of the Middle Ages. Chapter XV: Unlimited Power Of Majority, And Its Consequences—Part II Tyranny Of The Majority How the principle of the sovereignty of the people is to be understood—Impossibility of conceiving a mixed government—The sovereign power must centre somewhere—Precautions to be taken to control its action—These precautions have not been taken in the United States—Consequences. I hold it to be an impious and an execrable maxim that, politically speaking, a people has a…
om degrading themselves is to invest no one with that unlimited authority which is the surest method of debasing them. The Greatest Dangers Of The American Republics Proceed From The Unlimited Power Of The Majority Democratic republics liable to perish from a misuse of their power, and not by impotence—The Governments of the American republics are more centralized and more energetic than those of the monarchies of Europe—Dangers resulting from this—Opinions of Hamilton and Jefferson upon this point. Governments usually fall a sacrifice to impotence or to tyranny. In the former case…
the absolute sovereignty of the majority; for there is nothing in democratic States which is capable of resisting it. Most of the American Constitutions have sought to increase this natural strength of the majority by artificial means. *a a [ We observed, in examining the Federal Constitution, that the efforts of the legislators of the Union had been diametrically opposed to the present tendency. The consequence has been that the Federal Government is more independent in its sphere than that of the States. But the Federal Government scarcely ever interferes in any but…
More questions about this book
- Given De Tocqueville's background as a French "avocat" writing in 1835, what specific lenses or concerns might he bring to his analysis of American democracy, as suggested by the chapter titles?
- Trace the logical progression of De Tocqueville's inquiry as outlined by these chapter titles; how does he build his argument from foundational elements to complex societal dynamics?
- Beyond the explicit chapter topics, what underlying questions about the nature of democracy itself does De Tocqueville appear to be grappling with through this systematic exploration?
- Considering the publication year 1835 and Chapter XVIII's focus on "Future Condition Of Three Races," what societal groups would likely constitute these "races," and whose perspectives might be conspicuously absent or framed differently from a modern viewpoint?