The American Commonwealth, vol. 2
In Democracy in America (1835) the Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville interpreted American society through the lens of democratic political theory. A half-century later the Scotsman James Bryce examined “the institutions and the people of America as they are.” Bryce presented his findings in The American Commonwealth, first published in London in three volumes in 1888. This new Liberty Fund two-volume edition is based on the updated third edition of 1941, which encompassed all the changes, corrections, and additions that Bryce entered into the previous editions. Its expanded appendix includes Bryce’s 1887 essay, “The Predictions of Hamilton and De Tocqueville,” and contemporaneous (1889) reviews of The American Commonwealth by Woodrow Wilson and Lord Acton.
The American Commonwealth, with an Introduction by Gary L. McDowell (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 1995). Vol. 2.
Copyright:
The copyright to this edition, in both print and electronic forms, is held by Liberty Fund, Inc.
People:
- Author: Viscount James Bryce
- Introduction: Gary L. McDowell
Formats:
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|---|---|---|
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Table of Contents
- PART III: THE PARTY SYSTEM
- Political Parties and Their History
- The Parties of Today
- Composition of the Parties
- Further Observations on the Parties
- The Politicians
- Why the Best Men Do Not Go Into Politics
- Party Organizations
- The Machine
- Note on Recent Legislation Regarding Primaries
- What the Machine Has to Do
- How the Machine Works
- Rings and Bosses
- Local Extension of Rings and Bosses
- Spoils
- Elections and Their Machinery
- Corruption
- The War Against Bossdom
- National Nominating Conventions
- The Nominating Convention at Work
- The Presidential Campaign
- The Issues in Presidential Elections
- Further Observations on Nominations and Elections
- Types of American Statesmen
- What the People Think of It
- Corruption.
- Election Frauds.
- The Machine.
- The Spoils System.
- Supplementary Note to Editions of 1910 and 1914
- REMARKS ON THE GROWTH OF PARTY: ITS PERVERSIONS AND THE REMEDIES APPLIED
- Part IV: Public Opinion
- The Nature of Public Opinion
- Government by Public Opinion
- How Public Opinion Rules in America
- Organs of Public Opinion
- National Characteristics as Moulding Public Opinion
- Classes as Influencing Opinion
- Local Types of Opinion—East, West, and South
- The Action of Public Opinion
- The Tyranny of the Majority
- The Fatalism of the Multitude
- Wherein Public Opinion Fails
- Wherein Public Opinion Succeeds
- Part V: Illustrations Reflections
- The Tammany Ring in New York City
- The Philadelphia Gas Ring
- Kearneyism in California
- I.: The Character of California
- II.: The Sand Lot Party
- III.: The New Constitution
- IV.: Observations on the Movement
- EPILOGUE TO THIS AND THE TWO LAST PRECEDING CHAPTERS
- The Home of the Nation
- The Latest Phase of Immigration
- The South Since the War
- Present and Future of the Negro1
- Further Reflections on the Negro Problem
- Foreign Policy and Territorial Extension
- The New Transmarine Dominions
- Laissez Faire
- N O T E
- Woman Suffrage
- The Supposed Faults of Democracy
- Weakness and Want of Promptitude.
- Fickleness and Instability.
- Insubordination and Contempt for Authority.
- Jealousy of Greatness, and a Desire to Level Down.
- Tyranny of the Majority.
- Love of Novelty; Passion for Destroying Old Institutions.
- Liability to Be Misled; Influence of Demagogues.
- The True Faults of American Democracy
- The Strength of American Democracy
- Note to Edition of 1914
- How Far American Experience Is Available for Europe
- I.: Manhood Suffrage.
- II.: The Civil Service.
- III.: The Judiciary.
- IV.: Character and Working of Legislatures.3
- V.: Second Chambers.4
- VI.: Length of Legislative Terms.5
- VII.: Indirect Elections.6
- VIII.: A Rigid Constitution.7
- IX.: Direct Legislation by the People.8
- X.: Local Self-Government.9
- XI.: The Absence of a Church Establishment.
- XII.: Party Machinery.11
- XIII.: The Unattractiveness of Politics.12
- XIV.: The Power of Wealth.
- Part VI: Social Institutions
- The Bar
- The Bench
- Railroads
- Wall Street
- The Universities and Colleges
- Statistics.
- General Character of the Universities and Colleges.
- Revenues.
- Government.
- The Teaching Staff.
- The Students.
- Buildings and External Aspect.
- Time Spent in Study.
- Local Distribution of Universities and Colleges.
- System and Methods of Instruction.
- Requirements for Entrance.
- Degrees and Examinations.
- Post-graduate Courses.
- Professional and Scientific Schools.
- Research.
- Aids to Deserving Students.
- Social Life of the Students.
- Religion.
- The Provision of University Education for Women.
- General Observations.
- Further Observations on the Universities
- The Churches and the Clergy
- The Influence of Religion
- The Position of Women
- Equality
- The Influence of Democracy on Thought
- Creative Intellectual Power
- The Relation of the United States to Europe
- The Absence of a Capital
- American Oratory
- The Pleasantness of American Life
- The Uniformity of American Life
- The Temper of the West
- WHY WE SHOULD BE HAPPY
- The Future of Political Institutions
- Social and Economic Future
- appendix i
- EXPLANATION (BY MR. G. BRADFORD) OF THE NOMINATING MACHINERY AND ITS PROCEDURE IN THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS1
- 1.
- 2.: County.
- 3.: State.
- 4.: National.
- REMARKS BY MR. DENIS KEARNEY ON “KEARNEYISM IN CALIFORNIA”
- The Predictions of Hamilton and de Tocqueville
- I.: The Ideas and Predictions of 1788
- II.: Tocqueville and His Book
- III.: Tocqueville’s View of the United States
- IV.: Tocqueville’s Impressions
- V.: Examination of Tocqueville’s Views and Predictions *
- Bryce’s American Commonwealth: A Review *
- Review of The American Commonwealth*
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