An compact, accessible, authoritative companion to Tocqueville's classic work One of the greatest books ever to be written on the United States, Democracy in America continues to find new readers who marvel at the lasting insights Alexis de Tocqueville had into our nation and its political culture. The work is, however, as challenging as it is important; its arguments can be complex and subtle, and its sheer length can make it difficult for any reader, especially one coming to it for the first time, to grasp Tocqueville’s meaning. The Chicago Companion to Tocqueville’s “Democracy in America” is the first book written expressly to help general readers and students alike get the most out of this seminal work. Now James T. Schleifer, an expert on Tocqueville, has provided the background and information readers need in order to understand Tocqueville’s masterwork. In clear and engaging prose, Schleifer explains why Democracy in America is so important, how it came to be written, and how different generations of Americans have interpreted it since its publication. He also presents indispensable insight on who Tocqueville was, his trip to America, and what he meant by equality , democracy , and liberty . Drawing upon his intimate knowledge of Tocqueville’s papers and manuscripts, Schleifer reveals how Tocqueville’s ideas took shape and changed even in the course of writing the book. At the same time, Schleifer provides a detailed glossary of key terms and key passages, all accompanied by generous citations to the relevant pages in the University of Chicago Press Mansfield/Winthrop translation. The Chicago Companion will serve generations of readers as an essential guide to both the man and his work. James T. Schleifer is emeritus dean of the library and professor of history at the College of New Rochelle and has been a visiting lecturer at Yale University and the University of Paris. He is the author of the award-winning book The Making of Tocqueville’s “Democracy in America” ; coeditor of De la Démocratie en Amérique , a critical edition in the Pléiade series; and translator of the four-volume historical-critical edition of De la Démocratie en Amérique edited by Eduardo Nolla.  Democracy in America The Chicago Companion to Tocqueville's By James T. Schleifer THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS Copyright © 2012 The University of Chicago All right reserved. ISBN: 978-0-226-73704-1 Contents Acknowledgments...................................................................................................................xiIntroduction......................................................................................................................1Why Read Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America?............................................................................1What Are the Purposes and Uses of the Companion?..................................................................................31 Who Was Tocqueville?............................................................................................................92 How Was Democracy in America Written?...........................................................................................153 What Are Some of Tocqueville's Basic Convictions?...............................................................................494 What Does Tocqueville Mean by Equality, Democracy, and Liberty?.................................................................565 How Does Democracy Threaten Liberty?............................................................................................726 How to Preserve Liberty?........................................................................................................1017 What Are Some of Tocqueville's Other Major Themes?..............................................................................1188 What Else Does Tocqueville Have to Say about America?...........................................................................1469 How Has Tocqueville's Democracy Been Read in America?...........................................................................161Glossary: What Are Some of the Key Terms in Tocqueville's Democracy?..............................................................175Guide to Key Chapters and Passages: Which Parts of Tocqueville's Democracy Are the Most Famous and Essential?.....................179Suggestions for Further Reading...................................................................................................185Notes.............................................................................................................................187Index.............................................................................................................................197 Chapter One Who Was Tocqueville? WHAT ARE SOME ESSENTIALS OF HIS LIFE AND BACKGROUND? Tocqueville's biography is already well k