How did Tocqueville study American society?
My method involved a deliberate and sustained observation of American society. I traveled extensively throughout the United States, engaging directly with people from various walks of life. I examined laws, institutions, customs, and public opinion. My approach was comparative; I sought to understand America by contrasting it with European societies, particularly France, to discern what was unique to the American experiment and what might be universal to democratic societies.
Ask Alexis de Tocqueville the follow-up →