Democracy across the globe has been a debatable issue concerning meaning and practice with many nations still struggling to be democratic. In the United States among the most remembered fathers of democracy is Alexis De Tocqueville who analyzed the American Democracy model. The paper seeks to discuss in detail some of Tocqueville views on various issues such as centralization, the government in America, Dillon laws and the specific districts.
Tocqueville believed in the structure of American government in the line of thought that the town governments offered opportunities for the populace to air their views. According to him, giving citizens the freedom of expressing their opinions was among one of the significant duties of a state. As such, he believed that the structure of government was a good one enshrined in a constitution from which other nations borrowed. He also thought that the local government allows for responsible citizenship through the encouraging of civic organizations and equipping citizens with knowledge on democratic politics ( Tocqueville, 2003) . Unlike France, the United States according to Tocqueville was a model of democracy.
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On the matter of centralization, Tocqueville (2003) pointed out that consolidation takes two forms. One is the interests which are common to all components of a nation which may entail enactment of general laws as well as the maintenance of foreign relations. The other refers to the interests that are unique to a specific part of a nation, for example, the business of the several townships. In the light of the above, the authority that directs the general interests is determined by the same persons and their constitutes under a centralized government. It is therefore apparent that a centralized rule acquires enormous control when combined with centralized admin. Thus connected, it accustoms individual to set their own will consistently and entirely aside at all times. The union of power under centralization forcibly subdues the two types and also affects their ordinary habits; it thus isolates them and then influences each separately. The above two kinds of consolidation, therefore, lend a hand and attract each other. As such, they are not meant to be separated. According to Tocqueville (2003), it was hard to believe that a nation can grow without an authoritative central government.
Tocqueville had positive thoughts about Dillon’s rule. Dillon rule has been in existence since 1896 as a fundamental rule of interpreting government powers. The rule argued that local authorities must get their power from the state rather than from the local voters (Tocqueville, 1873) . In the light of the above, Tocqueville (2003) pointed out that traditions are the guardians of democracy. As such, it is crucial to recognize such kind of freedom. Right under the custodianship of locals need to be identified since the written constitution is not a whole expression of state laws but also based on the convictions of the locals.
On the issue about special districts, Tocqueville pointed out that the local governments are the foundations of all free Republican states (Tocqueville, 1873) . Also, the districts are the custodians of protection of minority rights from all walks of political life. Towns thus embodied the local self-government, therefore, were a particular ingredient in democracy from a broader perspective.
In conclusion, it can be argued that Tocqueville stands out as a remarkable philosopher who sought to analyze the American government regarding democracy. The above was with the aim that other nations would benefit immensely through borrowing some aspects.
References
De Tocqueville, A. (2003). Democracy in America (Vol. 10). Regnery Publishing.
De Tocqueville, A. (1873). American institutions and their influence . AS Barnes.
