What to Read from Tocqueville’s Democracy in America

So you all know that you need to read Tocqueville’s Democracy in America.  But hey, that’s a 600-page book! Well, here’s the chapters you just cannot skip. I helped out a colleague with this recently, and I may as well pass the info onto y’all.

From volume one

part one

—Tocqueville’s introduction

—2: Point of Departure(on the Puritans, may read later w/ religion sections)

—3 and 4: Social State of the Anglo Americans; Principle of Sovty. of People

— from 5: first five sections on townships; section on Administrative Decentralization

part two

—from 5: sections 1-3

—all of 6

—all of 7

From volume two:

Tocqueville’s second introduction

Part One: 1-10, 15, 17, and 20

Part Two: 1-2, 4-5, 8-15, 19-20

Part Three: 1-2, 5, 8-12, 17-21

Part Four: 1-3, 6-8

And then it would be on to Peter’s truly great commentary on the book!