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Quote by Alexis de Tocqueville

“In examining the division of powers, as established by the Federal Constitution, remarking on the one hand the portion of sovereignty which has been reserved to the several States, and on the other, the share of power which has been given to the Union, it is evident that the Federal legislators entertained very clear and accurate notions respecting the centralization of government. The United States form not only a republic, but a confederation; yet the national authority is more centralized there than it was in several of the absolute monarchies of Europe....”

Quote by Alexis de Tocqueville

Work

Democracy in America

Published in the 19th century, this seminal work offers a detailed examination of the American political system, its history, and its societal implications. The author delves into the functioning of democracy, the role of the government, and the cultural fabric of the nation. more

Author

Alexis de Tocqueville
Alexis de Tocqueville

Alexis de Tocqueville was a French historian and political theorist renowned for his seminal work 'Democracy in America'. He embarked on a journey to the United States in the 1830s to examine its democratic institutions, and his observations were compiled into a two-volume book that remains a cornerstone in the study of American democracy and political science. more

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“...although confederations are meant to attract and collaborate with allies, the word confederation, although correlated with uniting allies, seems to be more so connected with making enemies. It’s just an elementary math and logic problem---7.9 billion people are in the world population, so it is mathematically supported that it would be improbable for all 7.9 billion people to agree with each other. In addition, “confederation” actually seems to add to division, because confederations are alliances where people with same/similar interests are united and organized, and in order for there to be an alliance of people with same/similar interests, there has to be people with interests that differ from theirs. Otherwise, they should not have made an alliance dedicated to one particular interest. If everyone agreed with them, they wouldn’t need to create an alliance.”

“At first, I was tempted to try to annihilate the label “Confederation,” because that would mean that there would be no divisions between different groups of people, and I thought that would mean that the beliefs of us INSURGENT LIABILITIES would be sought for, but I reasoned that if I annihilated the label “Confederation,” that would mean that I would have annihilated all confederations, which would exacerbate the situation; if a population lived in a totalitarian environment or any environment that limits citizens’ freedom of speech, then that would mean that the people who were silenced for their opinions officially lost their last mode of communicating their opinions: communication among themselves.”

“Then turn your eyes back on me, and tell me that Cathy and I are still children to be treated with condescension, and are incapable of understanding adult subjects. We haven't remained idle, twiddling our thumbs while you were off having a good time.”