Beginnings of De Tocqueville essay

De Tocqueville, American Democracy and the YMCA

In Democracy in America, Alexis De Tocqueville accurately paints a wonderful portrait of his impression of America Democracy for the better understanding of America for the rest of the world and the United States themselves. Many different can interpretations can be drawn from De Tocqueville‘s statements on democracy, but these statements can be uncovered even through the ambiguity of his account of America. De Tocqueville has a specific view and purpose for writing this work, where he claims that American democracy works because of a collaboration of citizens in political and voluntary associations, freedom for the individual even without complete equality and a limit of the downsides of majority rule, or as he puts it a tyranny of the majority. All claims made by De Tocqueville are shown through evidence throughout the book. De Tocqueville’s claims can be backed up by the understanding of a specific voluntary association, the YMCA. These claims of American democracy should also be viewed by his past and with the knowledge of the audience he was intending. The audience meant can be considered solely the French, but it can also be considered America as well.