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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. The American historian holds individuals accountable for what?

2. When can a judge refuse to enforce a law?

3. How is scientific research being driven in America at the time de Tocqueville is observing American democracy?

4. Where were the first colonies established?

5. De Tocqueville believes that democracy provides an authority of its own by replacing the certitudes of the intellectual with what?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does de Tocqueville believe that freedom of opinion is practically non-existent in the United States?

2. What does equality among the people trigger, in addition to innovation, according to de Tocqueville?

3. Americans want to explain everything through human intelligence and leave the rest to be explained by what, according to de Tocqueville?

4. De Tocqueville believes that religion provides what to Americans?

5. What does de Tocqueville analyze in his book?

6. What is one of the drawbacks to de Tocqueville's view of the American approach to literature and poetry?

7. De Tocqueville believes that, under a monarchic regime, patriotism is expressed by the pride of the people in what?

8. De Tocqueville believes that political parties are what to democratic societies?

9. What is the unusual political power, based on the Constitution, that the American judicial system holds?

10. According to de Tocqueville, although the democratic writer might have less to write about, what is the level of importance of what he writes about?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the following ideas as de Tocqueville uses them in his explanation and exploration of democracy:

i. servitude and individuality

ii. despotism and tyranny

iii. oppression and freedom.

Essay Topic 2

Why is de Tocqueville writing this book, and for whom is he writing the book? Of what is he trying to convince his audience? Support your answer with examples from the book.

Essay Topic 3

De Tocqueville believes that democracy counters individualism by ensuring that common good is understood as profiting everyone in the community. In what ways do the structures, people, and ideas de Tocqueville presents in the book affirm that idea? In what ways do they not support the idea? Which is a more convincing argument and why? Support your answers with examples from the book.

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