Question

What was Tocqueville’s concern with individualism in America?

A) Individualism would result in taking power from the government.
B) Individualism would cause too much competition in the free market.
C) Too much individualism could take the focus away from supporting the common good.
D) The government would attempt to stifle individualism if it feared being overthrown.
E) Individualism could lead to a bigger gap among income groups.

Answer 1

Tocqueville’s concern with individualism in America was that too much individualism could take the focus away from supporting the common good. Option C is correct.

Alexis Charles Henri Clérel, Viscount de Tocqueville was a French diplomat, political scientist and historian. He was active in French politics, first during the July Monarchy (1830–1848) and then during the Second Republic (1849–1851) which succeeded the February 1848 Revolution.

He asserted the importance of the French Revolution was to continue the process of modernizing and centralizing the French state.

Answer 2

"C) Too much individualism could take the focus away from supporting the common good" is the best option, since Tocqueville's main concern was that this individual freedom led people to isolate themselves from society.