Final answer:
John Stuart Mill and Alexis de Tocqueville's works depict the tyranny of the majority as a phenomenon that extends beyond government and into society at large, where majority opinion stifles minority rights and suppresses independent thought, requiring not only legal but societal remedies.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of John Stuart Mill's views on democracy and society, the tyranny of the majority is not limited to governmental institutions but can also proliferate through societal norms and behaviors. Mill understood that societal pressure could enforce conformity and silence minority voices just as effectively as governmental law could. For example, Mill pointed out how public opinion, in essence channeling the views of the majority, directly influences not only legislative bodies but also other instruments of power such as the executive, public forces, and the judiciary. The societal expectations and norms set by the majority can create an environment where minority rights are overlooked or actively suppressed, therefore, detracting from the authenticity of individual freedom.
Alexis de Tocqueville's observations further affirm the idea that majority opinion can dominate more than just government, as he regards public opinion as having both a physical and moral power over individuals' actions and will. This leads to a landscape where there is little room for independent thought and true freedom of discussion. In representative governments such as the United States, even though constitutional guarantees are meant to safeguard minority rights against the majority's will, the societal pressure and norms dictated by the majority still pose a significant challenge to those rights.
Majoritarianism can lead to the adoption of policies and cultural norms that perpetuate the majority's power, often at the expense of minority groups. This demonstrates that protection against the tyranny of the majority requires not just legal but also societal change—recognition of minority rights and an environment that encourages independent thought and equality.