De Tocqueville was Nostradamus with regards to his predictions for America to date. He foresaw the rise of America as a world leader economically, militarily, and culturally. He saw that the greatness of America was not due to our superior class of citizens, but rather that the average American citizen was empowered to take action to improve conditions for himself, his family, and his community and did not rely on decisions to be made for him by a distant authority. The American citizen was empowered by liberty and actively participated in self-government.



He also foresaw the inevitable decline of America due in part to some of the same things that made us great: that is our equality and pursuit of our own self-interests.



Democracy in America is a well-written account of our country within 50 years of it's founding. More than a "history" book, this a living, breathing, documentation of things as they were at this time and De Tocqueville does a masterful job of pulling you into that time. Read this book to get a feel for how our country was intended to operate. Rediscover that by becoming personally involved in the civic life of your community, state, and country, your best interests are served and you can ensure we maintain our equality and liberty. Get involved!