"The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money"
- Alexis de Tocqueville
About this Quote
Alexis de Tocqueville, a French political philosopher and also chronicler, created extensively regarding the USA throughout his trips in the 1830s. This quote shows his monitorings about the possible threats of government treatment and also too much investing in a democratic society.
Tocqueville thought that one of the toughness of the American Republic was its focus on specific freedom and limited federal government. However, he also acknowledged the potential for government officials to abuse their power and manipulate the public for their very own gain.
By recommending that Congress could bribe the general public with the general public's cash, Tocqueville was warning concerning the risks of political leaders appealing federal government programs as well as services in exchange for votes. He believed that this would certainly cause an unsustainable cycle of costs and reliance on the government, inevitably threatening the democratic principles of the Republic.
Generally, Tocqueville's quote serves as a sign of things to come concerning the relevance of keeping a balance in between government treatment as well as individual freedom in a democratic society.
"I weep for the liberty of my country when I see at this early day of its successful experiment that corruption has been imputed to many members of the House of Representatives, and the rights of the people have been bartered for promises of office"