The Three Threats to Tocquevillian Democracy

Almost two hundred years ago, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote about the promise and peril of the democratic age. By some accounts, the dystopian future he foresaw has come to pass; increasingly, American citizens are alone and look up to the powerful state to supply all of their needs. Since World War II, commentators on American democracy have echoed Tocqueville's warning. This lecture will survey Tocqueville's apprehensions about the future and address the additional temptations with which we are confronted today.