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1、ABookReportonOfDemocracyinAmericaOfDemocracyinAmerica,writtenbyAlexisdeTocqueville,isamagnificentworkforustounderstand“themostdemocraticcountry”intheworld.ThebookpurportstocompareFranceandUnitedStates,particularlyintherealmsofdemocracyandliberty.Inthisbook,hecoversnearlyever
2、yimaginableaspectofAmericangovernment,politics,society,andculture.BycomparingwhathehadobservedintheUnitedStatestowhatheknewofFranceTocquevillewasabletoshowthewaysinwhichlibertyanddemocracyhadflourishedinAmerica.ThebookhastwoVols.whichwerewrittenindifferenttimes.Vol.1isdivide
3、dintotwoparts.ThefirstparttellsusthepoliticalsysteminAmerica,andthesecondpartanalysesAmericandemocracyonthegroundofsociology.Vol.2containsfourparts,andheexpoundshispoliticalphilosophyandpoliticalsociologyunderthebackgroundofAmerica.Thebasicideaofthisbookistherecognitionofthe
4、inevitabledeclineofaristocracyandthedevelopmentofequalityanddemocracyisunstoppable.Here,IwanttofocusonsevenchaptersintheVol.1.TointroduceAmerica,TocquevillebeginswiththedescriptionofthegeographicallayoutofNorthAmericainthefirstchapter:PhysicalConfigurationofNorthAmerica.Hepo
5、intsouttheMississippiRivervalley,stillalargelyuninhabitedwilderness,“isthemostmagnificenthabitationeverpreparedbyGodforman.”Nativetribessettledineverywhere,butactuallytheydidnotpossessthelandfortheyarehunters.TheareaaroundtheMississippiandintheplainsissowell-suitedfortradean
6、dindustrythatcivilizedmanwasdestinedtobuildasocietythere.Inthesecondchapter,TocquevilletalkstheoriginsofAmerica.Thechapterisveryimportantbecauseitprovidestheoriginofthiscountrythatistofollow.ImmigrantstoAmericahaveacommonlanguageandtheysharedthecommonsenseoflocalgovernment.T
7、wobranchesofcoloniesinthesouthandthenorthexploredthecontinentindifferentpurposes,butEnglishgovernmentwaspleasedbecausetheythinkthecolonistsarepotentialrevolutionariesandthecoloniesenjoyedthegreatfreedom.Thelawsonthecontinentisbasedonthelawsoftheirmotherlandanditgraduallyform
8、edsomefeaturesaspublicaffairs,individualfreedom,trialbyjury,etc.andlocalind