Quote by Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy
In some countries a power exists which, though it is in a degree foreign to the social body, directs it, and forces it to pursue a certain track. In others the ruling force is divided, being partly within and partly without the ranks of the people. But nothing of the kind is to be seen in the United States; there society governs itself for itself. All power centers in its bosom, and scarcely an individual is to be met with who would venture to conceive or, still less, to express the idea of seeking it elsewhere. The nation participates in the making of its laws by the choice of its legislators, and in the execution of them by the choice of the agents of the executive government; it may almost be said to govern itself, so feeble and so restricted is the share left to the administration, so little . do the authorities forget their popular origin and the power from which they emanate. The people reign in the American political world as the Deity does in the universe. They are the cause and the aim of all things; everything comes from them, and everything is absorbed in them.
Summary
This quote emphasizes the unique political atmosphere of the United States. Unlike other countries, where power may come from external forces or be divided within the ruling class, in the United States, power rests entirely within society itself. The quote suggests that the American people have a significant role in governing their own society. In the U.S., individuals actively participate in the law-making process through electing legislators, as well as in the execution of laws by choosing the executive agents. The quote seeks to illustrate how the people reign supreme and serve as the driving force behind all political actions, analogous to the role of a supreme deity in the universe.
Topics
Power
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