# Democracy in America

This work is a translation and has a separate copyright status to the applicable copyright protections of the original content.
London (Conduit Street): Saunders and Otley, page ii, xli-xlv, iii. See also VOL. II and Democracy in America (Reeve) (a later edition in one volume).
“The very Deity itself both keepeth and requireth for ever this to be kept as a law, that wheresoever there is a coagmentation of many, the lowest be knit unto the highest by that which, being interjacent, may cause each to cleave to the other, and so all to continue one. This order of things in public societies is the work of policy, and the proper instrument thereof in every degree is Power; Power being that ability which we have of ourselves, or receive from others for performance of any action.”—Hooker.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
OF
THE FIRST VOLUME.
| | | Page. |
| Translator's Preface | Translator's Preface | v |
| Introduction | Introduction | xiii |
| CHAPTER I. |||
| Exterior form of North America | Exterior form of North America | 1 |
| CHAPTER II. |||
| Origin of the Anglo-Americans, and its importance in relation to their future condition | Origin of the Anglo-Americans, and its importance in relation to their future condition | 16 |
| | Reasons of certain anomalies which the laws and customs of the Anglo-Americans present | 46 |
| CHAPTER III. |||
| Social condition of the Anglo-Americans | Social condition of the Anglo-Americans | 49 |
| | The striking characteristic of the social condition of the Anglo-Americans is its essential Democracy | ib. |
| | Political consequences of the social condition of the Anglo-Americans | 61 ​ |
| CHAPTER IV. |||
| The principle of the sovereignty of the people in America | The principle of the sovereignty of the people in America | 64 |
| CHAPTER V. |||
| Necessity of examining the condition of the States before that of the Union at large | Necessity of examining the condition of the States before that of the Union at large | 69 |
| | The American system of townships and municipal bodies | 71 |
| | Limits of the townships | 74 |
| | Authorities of the township in New England | 75 |
| | Existence of the township | 79 |
| | Public spirit of the townships of New England | 82 |
| | The counties of New England | 86 |
| | Administration in New England | 88 |
| | General remarks on the Administration of the United States | 103 |
| | Of the State | 110 |
| | Legislative power of the State | 111 |
| | The executive power of the State | 113 |
| | Political effects of the system of local administration in the United States | 115 |
| CHAPTER VI. |||
| Judicial power in the United States, and its influence on political society | Judicial power in the United States, and its influence on political society | 135 |
| | Other powers granted to the American Judges | 144 |
| CHAPTER VII. |||
| Political jurisdiction in the United States | Political jurisdiction in the United States | 148 |
| CHAPTER VIII. |||
| The Federal Constitution | The Federal Constitution | 157 |
| | History of the Federal Constitution | ib. |
| | Summary of the Federal Constitution | 161 |
| | Prerogative of the Federal Government | 163 |
| | Federal Powers | 166 |
| | Legislative Powers | ib. |
| | A further difference between the Senate and the House of Representatives | 171 |
| | The executive power | 172 |
| | Differences between the position of the President of the United States and that of a Constitutional King of France | 175 |
| | Accidental causes which may increase the influence of the Executive Government | 180 |
| | Why the President of the United States does not require the majority of the two Houses in order to carry on the Government | 182 |
| | Election of the President | 184 |
| | Mode of election | 191 |
| | Crisis of the election | 196 |
| | Re-election of the President | 199 |
| | Federal Courts | 203 |
| | Means of determining the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts | 208 |
| | Different cases of jurisdiction | 211 |
| | Procedure of the Federal Courts | 219 |
| | High rank of the Supreme Courts amongst the great powers of the State | 223 |
| | In what respects the Federal Constitution is superior to that of the States | 227 ​ |
| | Characteristics which distinguish the Federal Constitution of the United States of America from all other Federal Constitutions | 233 |
| | Advantages of the Federal system in general, and its special utility in America | 239 |
| | Why the Federal system is not adapted to all peoples, and how the Anglo-Americans were enabled to adopt it | 249 |
| Appendix | Appendix | 263 |
| | The Constitution of the United States | 293 |
| | The Constitution of the State of New York | 313 |
DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA.
BY
ALEXIS DE TOCQUEVILLE,
AVOCAT À LA COUR ROYALE DE PARIS, ETC., ETC.
TRANSLATED BY
HENRY REEVE, Esq.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
LONDON:
SAUNDERS AND OTLEY, CONDUIT STREET.
1835.