In this excerpt from Democracy in America Alexis Tocqueville expresses his sentiments about the United States democratic government. Tocqueville believes the government's nature exists in the absolute supremacy of the majority, meaning that those citizens of the United States who are of legal age control legislation passed by the government. However, the power of the majority can exceed its limits. Tocqueville believed that the United States was a land of equality, liberty, and political wisdom. He considered it be a land where the government only served as the voice of the its citizens. He compares the government of the US to that of European systems. To him, European governments were still constricted by aristocratic privilege, the people had no hand in the formation of their government, let alone, there every day lives. He held up the American system as a successful model of what aristocratic European systems would inevitably become, systems of democracy and social equality. Although he held the American democratic system in high regards, he did have his concerns about the systems shortcomings. Tocqueville feared that the virtues he honored, such as creativity, freedom, civic participation, and taste, would be endangered by "the tyranny of the majority." In the United States the majority rules, but whose their to rule the majority. Tocqueville believed that the majority, with its unlimited power, would unavoidably turn into a tyranny. He felt that the moral beliefs of the majority would interfere with the quality of the elected legislators. The idea was that in a great number of men there was more intelligence, than in one individual, thus lacking quality in legislation. Another disadvantage of the majority was that the interests of the majority always were preferred to that of the minority. Therefore, giving the minority no chance to voice concerns. Even though the minority was free to think differently, they were alienated because of their individuality.
Federalism can also refer to a governing system where sovereignty and constitutionalism is fully embraced fully as the way to rule. ... Thus, the congress wielded too much power over the citizens, a factor that would make tyranny frightfully easy to implement in the States. ...
The American and French Revolutions both occurred in the eighteenth century; subverting the existing government and opening the way for capitalism and constitutionalism. ... They were resisting the force of tyranny before it could be applied. ... The suppressed farmers were overwhelmed with higher and higher taxes and were ready for a revolution without having to be propagandized into it.1 The French Revolution occurred out of a basic need to overthrow tyranny. ...
The American and French Revolutions both occurred in the eighteenth century; subverting the existing government and opening the way for capitalism and constitutionalism. ... They were resisting the force of tyranny before it could be applied. ... The suppressed farmers were overwhelmed with higher and higher taxes and were ready for a revolution without having to be propagandized into it.1 The French Revolution occurred out of a basic need to overthrow tyranny. ...
Our nation founded itself on this simple thought because its people were tired of the tyranny and oppression caused by rule under Great Britain. ... A review of his constitutional arguments and reasoning shows Lincoln's faithfulness to the constitutionalism of the Founding Fathers (Belz,76). ...
Our nation founded itself on this simple thought because its people were tired of the tyranny and oppression caused by rule under Great Britain. ... A review of his constitutional arguments and reasoning shows Lincoln's faithfulness to the constitutionalism of the Founding Fathers (Belz,76). ...
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 declares that "it is essential if man is not compelled to have recourse as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that humans rights should be protected by the Rule of Law". ... Jenny Hocking held: " I think one of our great protections [against terrorism] is in fact, as Justice Kirby said, to maintain our constitutionalism and adhere to the great principles of the rule of law." 2 Human Rights. ...
Governments are created as a means to establish rules and laws as a guide to solving conflicts, and for the protection of the citizen's liberty and security. In a democratic society the government is not a single all- powerful authority wielding ultimate decisive power. Democratic institutions, such as courts, the executive and legislative branches of government, rely on the strength of the majority vote. If the government institutions rely on the will of the majority, problems can emerge of preserving and protecting an individual's liberty and security because of the immense dom...
