Tocqueville and Local Government

Distinguishing Democracy's Second Track

Bibliographic Data

ID8035339
AuthorsRobert T Gannett (corresponding author)
Year2005
Volume67
Issue4
Pages721-736
Publication date2005-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Review of Politics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0034-6705 • E-ISSN: 1748-6858
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0034670500035683
OpenAlexW1977365868
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited19

In arguing for democracy's universal promotion in the world today, America's leaders simplify democracy's procedural requirements and reduce the nature and degree of participation required of its citizens. Tocqueville's more sophisticated analysis of the essential underpinnings of a healthy democratic society argues that the genius of American democracy lies in its juxtaposition of two separate democratic tracks, one national and the other local. On one track, to be sure, he situated the broad freedoms assured by our deftly balanced national constitution. But he assigned equal pride of place to a complementary track of robust “secondary liberties.” After recounting Tocqueville's lifelong effort to determine the appropriate levels of such local engagement, indexed to considerations of religion, national security, and the progress of civilization itself, the essay explains that Tocqueville never took for granted democratic political transitions, seeing them as products of human wisdom and choice, not historical necessity

Civilization · Constitution · Democracy · Democratic system · Genius · Political science · Politics · Pride · Promotion (chess · Sociology · American Constitutional Law and Politics · History · Law · Political Theory and Influence · Public Administration · Religion and Society Interactions

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