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Tocqueville and the American Experiment
Tocqueville and the American Experiment (24 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture) Course No. 4863 Taught by William R. Cook State University of New York at Geneseo Ph.D., Cornell University 12 Audio Cds with Course Outline Booklet
13 pages, Audible Audio
First published January 1, 1999
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73 people want to read
About the author
William R. Cook
32 books30 followersDr. William R. Cook is the Distinguished Teaching Professor of History at the State University of New York at Geneseo, where he has taught since 1970. He earned his bachelor’s degree cum laude from Wabash College and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa there. He was then awarded Woodrow Wilson and Herbert Lehman fellowships to study medieval history at Cornell University, where he earned his Ph.D.
Professor Cook teaches courses in ancient and medieval history, the Renaissance and Reformation periods, and the Bible and Christian thought. Since 1983 Professor Cook has directed 11 Seminars for School Teachers for the National Endowment for the Humanities.
His books include Images of St. Francis of Assisi and Francis of Assisi: The Way of Poverty and Humility. Dr. Cook contributed to the Cambridge Companion to Giotto and edits and contributes to The Art of the Franciscan Order in Italy.
Among his many awards, Professor Cook has received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. In 1992 the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education named him New York State’s Professor of the Year. In 2003 he received the first-ever CARA Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Medieval Studies from the Medieval Academy of America.
Professor Cook teaches courses in ancient and medieval history, the Renaissance and Reformation periods, and the Bible and Christian thought. Since 1983 Professor Cook has directed 11 Seminars for School Teachers for the National Endowment for the Humanities.
His books include Images of St. Francis of Assisi and Francis of Assisi: The Way of Poverty and Humility. Dr. Cook contributed to the Cambridge Companion to Giotto and edits and contributes to The Art of the Franciscan Order in Italy.
Among his many awards, Professor Cook has received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. In 1992 the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education named him New York State’s Professor of the Year. In 2003 he received the first-ever CARA Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Medieval Studies from the Medieval Academy of America.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 29, 2025
3.5 stars, rounded up. This Great Course is a 24 lecture survey of Alexis De Tocqueville's "Democracy In America" which is one of the most important books on American government ever written. Dr. Cook is a clear speaker and does not have any distracting speech mannerisms. This is the 4th Great Course by Professor Cook that I have finished, the others were The History of the Catholic Church, The Lives of the Great Christians, and St. Augustine's Confessions, which he team taught with his colleague, Professor Ronald Herzman.
Professor Cook starts with some background lectures on Tocqueville's background life and then about his journey to America. In some ways, these are the most interesting lectures. I really liked learning about where Tocqueville went while he was in America, and how who he was interacting with influenced his views on life in America. Tocqueville has some spot on observations about American life and democracy. One of his insights that has always resonated with me is how democracy is mostly local and the time that Americans spend in strengthening their local institutions is in many ways the heart of true democracy. The final lectures on democracy being a hindrance to excellence and how many Americans prefer simple ideas to doing the harder work to develop a better nation felt really relevant. Democracy in America was written in the 1830's and 1840's, so Tocqueville's writings about American slavery and the Native Americans were very interesting. Being a Frenchman, he didn't have a bias to defend, and his views were insightful.
Although Professor Cook is not the most engaging lecturer in the stable of the Great Courses, he is very good and I am glad I listened to these lectures.
Professor Cook starts with some background lectures on Tocqueville's background life and then about his journey to America. In some ways, these are the most interesting lectures. I really liked learning about where Tocqueville went while he was in America, and how who he was interacting with influenced his views on life in America. Tocqueville has some spot on observations about American life and democracy. One of his insights that has always resonated with me is how democracy is mostly local and the time that Americans spend in strengthening their local institutions is in many ways the heart of true democracy. The final lectures on democracy being a hindrance to excellence and how many Americans prefer simple ideas to doing the harder work to develop a better nation felt really relevant. Democracy in America was written in the 1830's and 1840's, so Tocqueville's writings about American slavery and the Native Americans were very interesting. Being a Frenchman, he didn't have a bias to defend, and his views were insightful.
Although Professor Cook is not the most engaging lecturer in the stable of the Great Courses, he is very good and I am glad I listened to these lectures.
March 5, 2024
4.5 stars. An excellent overview!
April 25, 2021
Exceeded all expectations, what a fantastic course. This is an overview of, and a great primer for, a book widely considered to be one of the greatest written on the United States.
What I liked about opting for a lecture series over reading the book first:
1. A lot of helpful backstory is included. Tocqueville's life, his profession, and the state of the US and France at the time are discussed.
2. Important passages are highlighted that would have otherwise went over my head. I've heard many times how challenging of a read Democracy in America is.
3. A 12 hour lecture series vs a 983 page book.
4. The professor does a great job of evaluating many of Tocqueville's observations and predictions about the US. He discusses what was accurate then, what still holds true, and why.
I was constantly amazed at how many nuances Tocqueville was able to notice about America during his nine month visit. And even more how so many still apply today. Some main ideas discussed:
- The essentials of democracy, and America as a republic.
- Principal antidotes to despotism and aristocracy.
- Laws, the judicial system, and tyranny of the majority.
- Equality of condition, sameness, and centralization.
- American and European cultural differences.
What I liked about opting for a lecture series over reading the book first:
1. A lot of helpful backstory is included. Tocqueville's life, his profession, and the state of the US and France at the time are discussed.
2. Important passages are highlighted that would have otherwise went over my head. I've heard many times how challenging of a read Democracy in America is.
3. A 12 hour lecture series vs a 983 page book.
4. The professor does a great job of evaluating many of Tocqueville's observations and predictions about the US. He discusses what was accurate then, what still holds true, and why.
I was constantly amazed at how many nuances Tocqueville was able to notice about America during his nine month visit. And even more how so many still apply today. Some main ideas discussed:
- The essentials of democracy, and America as a republic.
- Principal antidotes to despotism and aristocracy.
- Laws, the judicial system, and tyranny of the majority.
- Equality of condition, sameness, and centralization.
- American and European cultural differences.
September 9, 2021
Strong lectures with well developed supporting material. I’ve been familiar with Tocqueville only in the roughest sense of knowing who he is and a little about his project; this provided a good sense of both his biography as well as a fair amount of analysis covering what he actually said and what he may have meant. Beyond that, it’s a good introduction to thinking through the cultural, social, and even geographic features that influence the shape of political development broadly, and American democracy particularly.
August 30, 2015
7: solid but has a slight right wing slant
July 3, 2019
In 1831 the French diplomat Alexis de Tocqueville (who was 25 at the time) obtained permission from the French government to travel to the U.S. to study our prison system (which was geared not just for punishment, but for rehabilitation … a novel concept at the time). Tocqueville traveled widely in the U.S. and returned home to write Democracy in America, a book that contained numerous insights into the zeitgeist of the country at the time, many of which still hold true nearly 200 years later.
For example, Tocqueville feared that American’s capitalistic tendencies and ambitions for material acquisition could lead to the rise of an aristocracy that could, over time, subvert democracy from within. Needless to say, he nailed it to the point that many scholars no longer consider America to be a representative democracy, but an oligarchy. One such paper written by Princeton University Prof Martin Gilens and Northwestern University Prof Benjamin Page states:
Multivariate analysis indicates that economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on US government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence.
Of course, Tocqueville was bound to get some things wrong. For example he believed the solution to this aristocracy was to be found in the moderating influence of religion, Christianity in particular. He thought that religious instruction would serve as a counterbalance to unencumbered acquisitiveness (given that ‘greed’ is considered one of the seven deadly sins and all). Not to put too fine a point on it, but capitalism has had rather a powerful influence on religious doctrine in the U.S. to the point that many mainstream churches now teach that the means through which God shows favor is by bestowing wealth upon his/her/its adherents.
One can perhaps forgive Tocqueville, however, for failing to anticipate the power of avarice and motivated reasoning to twist biblical verse to mean precisely the opposite of what it actually says. In case you’ve forgotten:
If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.
- Matthew 19:21
As to this lecture, it’s a good one. It’s presented by William R. Cook State, a professor of history at University of New York at Genese and he does a nice job distilling Tocqueville’s book into its major themes and putting the material into the context of both the time in which it was written and its continuing relevance today.
For example, Tocqueville feared that American’s capitalistic tendencies and ambitions for material acquisition could lead to the rise of an aristocracy that could, over time, subvert democracy from within. Needless to say, he nailed it to the point that many scholars no longer consider America to be a representative democracy, but an oligarchy. One such paper written by Princeton University Prof Martin Gilens and Northwestern University Prof Benjamin Page states:
Multivariate analysis indicates that economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on US government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence.
Of course, Tocqueville was bound to get some things wrong. For example he believed the solution to this aristocracy was to be found in the moderating influence of religion, Christianity in particular. He thought that religious instruction would serve as a counterbalance to unencumbered acquisitiveness (given that ‘greed’ is considered one of the seven deadly sins and all). Not to put too fine a point on it, but capitalism has had rather a powerful influence on religious doctrine in the U.S. to the point that many mainstream churches now teach that the means through which God shows favor is by bestowing wealth upon his/her/its adherents.
One can perhaps forgive Tocqueville, however, for failing to anticipate the power of avarice and motivated reasoning to twist biblical verse to mean precisely the opposite of what it actually says. In case you’ve forgotten:
If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.
- Matthew 19:21
As to this lecture, it’s a good one. It’s presented by William R. Cook State, a professor of history at University of New York at Genese and he does a nice job distilling Tocqueville’s book into its major themes and putting the material into the context of both the time in which it was written and its continuing relevance today.
April 22, 2025
I have debated reading this tome for years but I have never had enough motivation to slog through its 700 pages. So I thought I would take a short cut and listen to a series of lectures on it. (Unfortunately, I will probably associate these lectures with the brake problems I had with my 2008 Escape Hybrid. I had two frozen rear brake calipers that caused me a great deal of stress. Obviously, this had nothing to do with the lectures but there we are.) Tocqueville had some very astute insights. I am particularly interested in his criticism. For example, he said that senators came from good stock but representatives were crude and vulgar. This seems to fit with the current ranks of GOP representatives we now have in congress. He also noted that education in the US was broad but shallow. I think it has remained so. He also recommended getting involved in local government and joining organizations because both were ways for citizens to become familiar with how government works. I think the book is timely, given the horrible situation we now find ourselves in: a president who is an idiot and a cabinet eminently unqualified and doing harm to our reputation and well being every day. This is what can happen in a democracy. And it has never been as bad as it is now.
October 8, 2023
An eye or brain opener
I prefer DVD presentations. However, the CD version will do as the DVD version only has someone at a podium staring at notes.
24 Lectures by William R. Cook and The Great Courses
1 An Overview of Democracy in America
2 Alexis de Tocqueville-A Brief Biography
3 The Journey to America
4 Equality of Conditions and Freedom
5 The Foundations of the American Experience
6 Does America Have a Mixed Constitution?
7 The American Constitution
8 The Judiciary and Lawyers in America
9 Democracy and Local Government
10 Freedom of Speech in Theory and Practice
11 Freedom of the Press
12 Political Parties
13 The Problem of the Tyranny of the Majority
14 Political Associations
15 Civil Associations
16 Blacks and Indians
17 Mores and Democracy
18 Christianity and Democracy
19 Education and Culture in Democracies
20 Individualism in America
21 The Desire for Wealth in America
22 The Democratic Family
23 Are Democracy and Excellence Compatible?
24 Tocqueville's Unanswered Questions
I prefer DVD presentations. However, the CD version will do as the DVD version only has someone at a podium staring at notes.
24 Lectures by William R. Cook and The Great Courses
1 An Overview of Democracy in America
2 Alexis de Tocqueville-A Brief Biography
3 The Journey to America
4 Equality of Conditions and Freedom
5 The Foundations of the American Experience
6 Does America Have a Mixed Constitution?
7 The American Constitution
8 The Judiciary and Lawyers in America
9 Democracy and Local Government
10 Freedom of Speech in Theory and Practice
11 Freedom of the Press
12 Political Parties
13 The Problem of the Tyranny of the Majority
14 Political Associations
15 Civil Associations
16 Blacks and Indians
17 Mores and Democracy
18 Christianity and Democracy
19 Education and Culture in Democracies
20 Individualism in America
21 The Desire for Wealth in America
22 The Democratic Family
23 Are Democracy and Excellence Compatible?
24 Tocqueville's Unanswered Questions
July 11, 2021
I thought this one of the weaker Great Courses that I'm taken. It started out strong, with good biographical information on Tocqueville, detailed explanation of his trip to America, and good general information regarding his book, Democracy in America. However, the subsequent lectures were both too much and too little. Professor Cook belabors many of his points about Tocqueville, taken ten minutes to make points that could be easily made in two or three. What I found lacking was analysis regarding how Tocqueville's observations and conjectures had held up during the 180 years since the second volume was published. Perhaps I'll have to look elsewhere for that type of analysis, which I would find very interesting.
July 6, 2017
When you're listening to the lecture, it's difficult to imagine that everything Tocqueville was observing and writing about - all happened almost 200 years ago. One of his observations really hits close to home, especially in these times of "hyper-political correctness". Tocqueville observed that we [Americans] have almost unlimited freedom of speech guaranteed in the Constitution, and yet publicly people keep their personal expressions confined within a very narrow scope.
April 18, 2023
Highly recommend this course, also recommend this if you don't have the time to invest in his almost 1000 page book Democracy in America. This will also provide a lot of background into his life as well some context to his writing which will give you a lot better understanding of his book should you decide to read it.
May 12, 2022
Really fantastic look at Tocqueville. Especially important in 2022 when we look at the decline of democracy in America towards many of the dangers predicted from the loss of localism and democratic societies
April 7, 2024
William Cook's lecture style can at times be somewhat irritating, but we learn much from his content about the early decades of these United State - and perhaps can get away without reading all 700 pages ofToqueville's work.
November 10, 2019
Really really good
July 1, 2020
Another amazing course from Professor Cook! The subject matter as he says is just as timely now as it was when it was published.
May 21, 2021
Glad I listen to it. My cousin Amy recommended it. This guy visited American 1832 and had so many interesting things to point out about our democracy the good and the bad
November 1, 2021
A helpful companion to Tocqueville.
October 9, 2016
Bowling for Democracy...?
Alexis de Tocqueville visited the US in 1830 during the Jackson presidency...the country was only 40+ years old and still trying to find it's national identity. During the nine months in the US, Tocqueville traveled extensively, visiting with both the powerful (J.Q. Adams and Andy Jackson) and the common folk. He recorded his thoughts and impressions and wrote a two-parter, published in 1835 and 1840 entitled "Democracy in America", in which gave his impressions about what's good and bad about our form of government at that time.
In that time the US saw 24 states with roughly 12 million people...New York City was the largest city with a little more than 200,000 people. Hence, most of the country was rural...busy farming and pushing the boundaries of the country westward. The southern parts of the US were still dominated by semi-aristocratic plantation owners dedicated to the preservation of slavery...the northern states were becoming more anti-slavery...the entire nation looked to pushing the native Americans further west.
Yet, amidst all this growth, Americans can be seen to exhibit an almost universal will to maintain and preserve their unique form of government that, as Tocqueville saw it, was composed of real, grass-root democracy at the local levels and a more republican government at the federal levels. He saw real value in local associations...something as simple as bowling leagues...in which people from different backgrounds could assemble in support of a common cause. The core values of this young country were seen as liberty and justice, with the role of women serving as a critical...almost necessary...role in sustaining the integrity of this country's form of democracy.
Professor Cook presents a series of lectures that serve as a kind of detailed Cliff-Notes version of "Democracy in America" in which he explains much of Tocqueville's views using modern examples and analogies. In a way, the lectures hold a mirror up to us today, helping us see ourselves through another set of eyes, allowing us to (maybe) correct some of the shortcoming and strengthen those values we still hold dear.
These are smart, well-presented lectures that will only help you to understand what it means to be an American, warts and all. Some of the concepts and impressions are not comfortable...some are spot-on. If you are considering these lectures, you will not be disappointed...If you have them, listen/watch them again, especially during times leading up to important national elections (such as the time I'm writing this review).
Recommended strongly...especially when the course is on sale and you can get an additional 50% off...I got mine at about $0.71/lecture.
Alexis de Tocqueville visited the US in 1830 during the Jackson presidency...the country was only 40+ years old and still trying to find it's national identity. During the nine months in the US, Tocqueville traveled extensively, visiting with both the powerful (J.Q. Adams and Andy Jackson) and the common folk. He recorded his thoughts and impressions and wrote a two-parter, published in 1835 and 1840 entitled "Democracy in America", in which gave his impressions about what's good and bad about our form of government at that time.
In that time the US saw 24 states with roughly 12 million people...New York City was the largest city with a little more than 200,000 people. Hence, most of the country was rural...busy farming and pushing the boundaries of the country westward. The southern parts of the US were still dominated by semi-aristocratic plantation owners dedicated to the preservation of slavery...the northern states were becoming more anti-slavery...the entire nation looked to pushing the native Americans further west.
Yet, amidst all this growth, Americans can be seen to exhibit an almost universal will to maintain and preserve their unique form of government that, as Tocqueville saw it, was composed of real, grass-root democracy at the local levels and a more republican government at the federal levels. He saw real value in local associations...something as simple as bowling leagues...in which people from different backgrounds could assemble in support of a common cause. The core values of this young country were seen as liberty and justice, with the role of women serving as a critical...almost necessary...role in sustaining the integrity of this country's form of democracy.
Professor Cook presents a series of lectures that serve as a kind of detailed Cliff-Notes version of "Democracy in America" in which he explains much of Tocqueville's views using modern examples and analogies. In a way, the lectures hold a mirror up to us today, helping us see ourselves through another set of eyes, allowing us to (maybe) correct some of the shortcoming and strengthen those values we still hold dear.
These are smart, well-presented lectures that will only help you to understand what it means to be an American, warts and all. Some of the concepts and impressions are not comfortable...some are spot-on. If you are considering these lectures, you will not be disappointed...If you have them, listen/watch them again, especially during times leading up to important national elections (such as the time I'm writing this review).
Recommended strongly...especially when the course is on sale and you can get an additional 50% off...I got mine at about $0.71/lecture.
October 27, 2011
Bill Cook (I can call him that since we're members of a democracy) makes this lecture series. Tocqueville wasn't super high on my list of things to research but I'm glad I listened to 'em.
It made me thing. Especially about individualism and democracy, civic clubs, and how much of a loner I am. I also don't know the first thing about local (sub-state) politics.
It made me thing. Especially about individualism and democracy, civic clubs, and how much of a loner I am. I also don't know the first thing about local (sub-state) politics.
December 12, 2020
Listened to it as an audio course. Professor Cook is an engaging lecturer, and though I'm tempted to take off a star for being a bit too anecdotal and preachy, and not quite as analytical and historical as I would have wished, I enjoyed the lectures too much not to give them five stars. Good preparation for actually reading Tocqueville. Which is what I'm going to do now.
February 15, 2016
Sometimes it takes an outsider to help you realize that, in spite of all the baggage, it's still pretty awesome to be an American.
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