SOC101Y1 Chapter Notes -Alexis De Tocqueville
Document Summary
Alexis tocqueville was one of the first modern observers to consider both the practical and theoretical significance of citizen participation in politics. His thesis believed was that the united states represented the most democratic nation in the world in the 19th century. It was democratic in the sense that citizens had achieved a measure of social, economic and political equality unmatched in world history. It seemed to tocqueville that americans assembled for common pursuits with far greater frequency and diversity of purpose then the citizens of any other nation. Such a tendency, he further believed, originated precisely because of the relative equality of wealth and other conditions in america. Durkheim believed groups could serve as a dual function. Elections in the usa ve brought out as many as 80% of eligible voters on occasion while local elections tend to only bring 40%. Citizen participation in presidential elections from 70% during the 1950"s to only 52% in.
