Alex De Tocqueville's The Tyranny Of The Majority

Since the start of America, government has always been essential to the success of society. According to Thomas Jefferson, who is a founding father of America,” I predict future happiness for Americans, if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them”. In other words, Jefferson is saying the key to a bright future is if the government is able to carry out their responsibilities and take care of the people. Numerous novelists and philosophers make various arguments about the success of society based on the government and humanity. Through his language in “The Tyranny of the Majority” Alex de Tocqueville argues that the majority is too powerful and will silence those outside of

This is seen in 1984 through the party’s ability to control society with their abundance of power. Tocqueville is visiting America from Europe and is essentially comparing the two governments. He talks about the status of the American government when he writes,” the majority in the U.S therefore has immense power in fact, and a power in opinion almost as great”(Tocqueville). Furthermore, the majority in the United States possesses a power that can not be suppressed by the people. The idea of “immense” shows how the government is too strong because immense means that there is nothing stronger than it. In the book 1984, the party is a representation of the majority and they have more power than they need. The people outside of it have no voice in the construction of their society. In addition, Tocqueville goes on to talk about the strength of the U.S and how it holds high power when he says,” What I most reproach in democratic government, as it has been organized in the U.S… its irresistible power”(Tocqueville). In other words, Tocqueville is saying what he most dislikes about the American government is the fact that they have too much power. By saying “irresistible power” he is implying that it is a force that can not be prevented. The U.S government is a representation of the majority and Tocqueville is saying from his experience the government is too strong, almost like a tyranny. By comparing the U.S government to his European government he is able to argue why the majority is too strong and its dangers to society. While Tocqueville makes the argument that the government is the overpowered majority, another philosopher, Horace Mann, gives the government an actual role in