Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Democracy in America, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Liberty, Equality, and Tyranny
Checks and Balances
Civic and Religious Institutions
Individualism and Materialism
Politics, Customs, and Culture
Summary
Analysis
Tocqueville observes that when an American obtains education and funds, he buys land, becomes a pioneer, and only asks the state not to disturb him; Europeans, meanwhile, prefer to seek out public employment. This is because they despair of improving their lot alone, and find solace in a paid office—a system that Tocqueville criticizes as destructive of the spirit of independence and as leading to servility and unproductiveness.
Tocqueville’s preference—at least as explained here—is for a “laissez-faire” system (ironically, the term comes from the French) in which the economy and social structure are left to their own devices rather than being directed by the government; he also tries to determine the reasons for Europe’s opposite preference.
Themes
In any official government, there are limited appointments, but the number of those who desire them is unlimited, leading to permanent opposition against the government—and perhaps even desire to overturn the constitution and change the rulers. The only solution is to teach people the art of being independent and providing for themselves.
Tocqueville examines the possible paradox that, when people come to rely on the government for employment and services, they grow to despise the government when they don’t receive those services.
Themes
