Sources of American Political Culture

Documents written by historical figures help us to understand how we think today and why. One such document is the journal kept by a French doctor visiting the United States to study the prison system. The young doctor, Alexis de Tocqueville, kept a detailed journal of his thoughts and observations about American life and especially American representative democracy. His journals were published under the title Democracy in America and are a rich source of information about American political culture and American representative democracy.

De Tocqueville described the culture as he saw it, identified sources of the American political culture, and discussed their impact on its citizens.

Below are some quotes from de Tocqueville. As you read each quote, indicate which element of American political culture he is describing.