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!
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