第21章

Thegovernmentofdemocracybringsthenotionofpoliticalrightstothelevelofthehumblestcitizens，justasthedisseminationofwealthbringsthenotionofpropertywithinthereachofallthemembersofthecommunity;andIconfessthat，tomymind，thisisoneofitsgreatestadvantages。Idonotassertthatitiseasytoteachmentoexercisepoliticalrights;butI

maintainthat，whenitispossible，theeffectswhichresultfromitarehighlyimportant;andIaddthat，ifthereeverwasatimeatwhichsuchanattemptoughttobemade，thattimeisourown。

Itisclearthattheinfluenceofreligiousbeliefisshaken，andthatthenotionofdivinerightsisdeclining;itisevidentthatpublicmoralityisvitiated，andthenotionofmoralrightsisalsodisappearing:thesearegeneralsymptomsofthesubstitutionofargumentforfaith，andofcalculationfortheimpulsesofsentiment。If，inthemidstofthisgeneraldisruption，youdonotsucceedinconnectingthenotionofrightswiththatofpersonalinterest，whichistheonlyimmutablepointinthehumanheart，whatmeanswillyouhaveofgoverningtheworldexceptbyfear？WhenIamtoldthat，sincethelawsareweakandthepopulaceiswild，sincepassionsareexcitedandtheauthorityofvirtueisparalyzed，nomeasuresmustbetakentoincreasetherightsofthedemocracy，Ireply，thatitisfortheseveryreasonsthatsomemeasuresofthekindmustbetaken;andIampersuadedthatgovernmentsarestillmoreinterestedintakingthemthansocietyatlarge，becausegovernmentsareliabletobedestroyedandsocietycannotperish。

Iamnot，however，inclinedtoexaggeratetheexamplewhichAmericafurnishes。InthoseStatesthepeopleareinvestedwithpoliticalrightsatatimewhentheycouldscarcelybeabused，forthecitizenswerefewinnumberandsimpleintheirmanners。

Astheyhaveincreased，theAmericanshavenotaugmentedthepowerofthedemocracy，buttheyhave，ifImayusetheexpression，extendeditsdominions。Itcannotbedoubtedthatthemomentatwhichpoliticalrightsaregrantedtoapeoplethathadbeforebeenwithoutthemisaverycritical，thoughitbeanecessaryone。Achildmaykillbeforeheisawareofthevalueoflife;andhemaydepriveanotherpersonofhispropertybeforeheisawarethathisownmaybetakenawayfromhim。Thelowerorders，whenfirsttheyareinvestedwithpoliticalrights，stand，inrelationtothoserights，inthesamepositionasthechilddoestothewholeofnature，andthecelebratedadagemaythenbeappliedtothem，Homopuerrobustus。ThistruthmayevenbeperceivedinAmerica。TheStatesinwhichthecitizenshaveenjoyedtheirrightslongestarethoseinwhichtheymakethebestuseofthem。

Itcannotberepeatedtoooftenthatnothingismorefertileinprodigiesthantheartofbeingfree;butthereisnothingmorearduousthantheapprenticeshipofliberty。Suchisnotthecasewithdespoticinstitutions:despotismoftenpromisestomakeamendsforathousandpreviousills;itsupportstheright，itprotectstheoppressed，anditmaintainspublicorder。Thenationislulledbythetemporaryprosperitywhichaccruestoit，untilitisrousedtoasenseofitsownmisery。Liberty，onthecontrary，isgenerallyestablishedinthemidstofagitation，itisperfectedbycivildiscord，anditsbenefitscannotbeappreciateduntilitisalreadyold。

ChapterXIV:AdvantagesAmericanSocietyDeriveFromDemocracy—

PartII

RespectForTheLawInTheUnitedStatesRespectoftheAmericansforthelaw—Parentalaffectionwhichtheyentertainforit—Personalinterestofeveryonetoincreasetheauthorityofthelaw。

Itisnotalwaysfeasibletoconsultthewholepeople，eitherdirectlyorindirectly，intheformationofthelaw;butitcannotbedeniedthat，whensuchameasureispossibletheauthorityofthelawisverymuchaugmented。Thispopularorigin，whichimpairstheexcellenceandthewisdomoflegislation，contributesprodigiouslytoincreaseitspower。Thereisanamazingstrengthintheexpressionofthedeterminationofawholepeople，andwhenitdeclaresitselftheimaginationofthosewhoaremostinclinedtocontestitisoverawedbyitsauthority。Thetruthofthisfactisverywellknownbyparties，andtheyconsequentlystrivetomakeoutamajoritywhenevertheycan。Iftheyhavenotthegreaternumberofvotersontheirside，theyassertthatthetruemajorityabstainedfromvoting;

andiftheyarefoiledeventhere，theyhaverecoursetothebodyofthosepersonswhohadnovotestogive。

IntheUnitedStates，exceptslaves，servants，andpaupersinthereceiptofrelieffromthetownships，thereisnoclassofpersonswhodonotexercisetheelectivefranchise，andwhodonotindirectlycontributetomakethelaws。Thosewhodesigntoattackthelawsmustconsequentlyeithermodifytheopinionofthenationortrampleuponitsdecision。

Asecondreason，whichisstillmoreweighty，maybefurtheradduced;intheUnitedStateseveryoneispersonallyinterestedinenforcingtheobedienceofthewholecommunitytothelaw;forastheminoritymayshortlyrallythemajoritytoitsprinciples，itisinterestedinprofessingthatrespectforthedecreesofthelegislatorwhichitmaysoonhaveoccasiontoclaimforitsown。Howeverirksomeanenactmentmaybe，thecitizenoftheUnitedStatescomplieswithit，notonlybecauseitistheworkofthemajority，butbecauseitoriginatesinhisownauthority，andheregardsitasacontracttowhichheishimselfaparty。

IntheUnitedStates，then，thatnumerousandturbulentmultitudedoesnotexistwhichalwayslooksuponthelawasitsnaturalenemy，andaccordinglysurveysitwithfearandwithfearandwithdistrust。Itisimpossible，ontheotherhand，nottoperceivethatallclassesdisplaytheutmostrelianceuponthelegislationoftheircountry，andthattheyareattachedtoitbyakindofparentalaffection。

Iamwrong，however，insayingallclasses;forasinAmericatheEuropeanscaleofauthorityisinverted，thewealthyarethereplacedinapositionanalogoustothatofthepoorintheOldWorld，anditistheopulentclasseswhichfrequentlylookuponthelawwithsuspicion。Ihavealreadyobservedthattheadvantageofdemocracyisnot，ashasbeensometimesasserted，thatitprotectstheinterestsofthewholecommunity，butsimplythatitprotectsthoseofthemajority。IntheUnitedStates，wherethepoorrule，therichhavealwayssomereasontodreadtheabusesoftheirpower。Thisnaturalanxietyoftherichmayproduceasullendissatisfaction，butsocietyisnotdisturbedbyit;forthesamereasonwhichinducestherichtowithholdtheirconfidenceinthelegislativeauthoritymakesthemobeyitsmandates;theirwealth，whichpreventsthemfrommakingthelaw，preventsthemfromwithstandingit。Amongstcivilizednationsrevoltsarerarelyexcited，exceptbysuchpersonsashavenothingtolosebythem;andifthelawsofademocracyarenotalwaysworthyofrespect，atleasttheyalwaysobtainit;forthosewhousuallyinfringethelawshavenoexcusefornotcomplyingwiththeenactmentstheyhavethemselvesmade，andbywhichtheyarethemselvesbenefited，whilstthecitizenswhoseinterestsmightbepromotedbytheinfractionofthemareinduced，bytheircharacterandtheirstations，tosubmittothedecisionsofthelegislature，whatevertheymaybe。Besideswhich，thepeopleinAmericaobeysthelawnotonlybecauseitemanatesfromthepopularauthority，butbecausethatauthoritymaymodifyitinanypointswhichmayprovevexatory;alawisobservedbecauseitisaself—imposedevilinthefirstplace，andaneviloftransientdurationinthesecond。

ActivityWhichPervadesAllTheBranchesOfTheBodyPoliticInTheUnitedStates;InfluenceWhichItExercisesUponSocietyMoredifficulttoconceivethepoliticalactivitywhichpervadestheUnitedStatesthanthefreedomandequalitywhichreignthere—Thegreatactivitywhichperpetuallyagitatesthelegislativebodiesisonlyanepisodetothegeneralactivity—DifficultforanAmericantoconfinehimselftohisownbusiness—Politicalagitationextendstoallsocialintercourse—CommercialactivityoftheAmericanspartlyattributabletothiscause—Indirectadvantageswhichsocietyderivesfromademocraticgovernment。

Onpassingfromacountryinwhichfreeinstitutionsareestablishedtoonewheretheydonotexist，thetravellerisstruckbythechange;intheformerallisbustleandactivity，inthelattereverythingiscalmandmotionless。Intheone，ameliorationandprogressarethegeneraltopicsofinquiry;intheother，itseemsasifthecommunityonlyaspiredtoreposeintheenjoymentoftheadvantageswhichithasacquired。

Nevertheless，thecountrywhichexertsitselfsostrenuouslytopromoteitswelfareisgenerallymorewealthyandmoreprosperousthanthatwhichappearstobesocontentedwithitslot;andwhenwecomparethemtogether，wecanscarcelyconceivehowsomanynewwantsaredailyfeltintheformer，whilstsofewseemtooccurinthelatter。

Ifthisremarkisapplicabletothosefreecountriesinwhichmonarchicalandaristocraticinstitutionssubsist，itisstillmorestrikingwithregardtodemocraticrepublics。IntheseStatesitisnotonlyaportionofthepeoplewhichisbusiedwiththeameliorationofitssocialcondition，butthewholecommunityisengagedinthetask;anditisnottheexigenciesandtheconvenienceofasingleclassforwhichaprovisionistobemade，buttheexigenciesandtheconvenienceofallranksoflife。

ItisnotimpossibletoconceivethesurpassinglibertywhichtheAmericansenjoy;someideamaylikewisebeformedoftheextremeequalitywhichsubsistsamongstthem，butthepoliticalactivitywhichpervadestheUnitedStatesmustbeseeninordertobeunderstood。NosoonerdoyousetfootupontheAmericansoilthanyouarestunnedbyakindoftumult;aconfusedclamorisheardoneveryside;andathousandsimultaneousvoicesdemandtheimmediatesatisfactionoftheirsocialwants。Everythingisinmotionaroundyou;here，thepeopleofonequarterofatownaremettodecideuponthebuildingofachurch;there，theelectionofarepresentativeisgoingon;alittlefurtherthedelegatesofadistrictarepostingtothetowninordertoconsultuponsomelocalimprovements;orinanotherplacethelaborersofavillagequittheirploughstodeliberateupontheprojectofaroadorapublicschool。MeetingsarecalledforthesolepurposeofdeclaringtheirdisapprobationofthelineofconductpursuedbytheGovernment;whilstinotherassembliesthecitizenssalutetheauthoritiesofthedayasthefathersoftheircountry。

SocietiesareformedwhichregarddrunkennessastheprincipalcauseoftheevilsunderwhichtheStatelabors，andwhichsolemnlybindthemsel