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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. Before the American Revolution, what were the two great political parties?

2. De Tocqueville believes that there must be complete freedom of what?

3. In what does de Tocqueville say American writers find poetry?

4. In de Tocqueville's observations, the patriotism of Americans is more akin to cupidity than to what?

5. Because of the generally accepted principle of equality among Americans, according to de Tocqueville they are less likely to accept what?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why, according to de Tocqueville, does the American writer write?

2. Why, in America, would it be hard for a democratic government to exercise tyrannical authority?

3. According to de Tocqueville, why does the United States only produce journalistic literature?

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

5. What is the definition of a regime?

6. What does de Tocqueville believe is the logic that is followed when people adopt the authority of the majority?

7. According to the author, what is the reason free people obey laws?

8. In de Tocqueville's observations, what do educated individuals in America read, and how does it relate to their lives?

9. Before the American Revolution, what were the two great political parties in the United States and what were their aims?

10. What are some of the suggestions that equality makes to the beliefs of the American people?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the definition that de Tocqueville uses for freedom of the press? Using examples from the book, what role does freedom of the press have in a democracy? What role does it have in American democracy?

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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