Alexis de Tocqueville wanted to establish a successful democracy in France, so he turned to the newest example of democracy available in the early nineteenth century: the young American government. Learn more about the observations from his book, Democracy in America, with a short informative video.

Concepts

american democracy, democracy, french history, political systems, the united states constitution, the separation of church and state, political science

Show More Show Less

Additional Tags

social studies

Show More Show Less

Instructional Ideas

• Pair with a unit on early American government or the French Revolution
• Encourage learners to research other democracies around the world, and to compare them to their own country's political system

Classroom Considerations

• The three-minute video is a short introduction to the full analysis, which is available for purchase on the publisher's website; the full version is also available with a free trial membership
• Comment section is open to the public
• Clicking on the video's ad will bring you to the main website
• Consider adding discussion questions or a journal prompt

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Uses a helpful metaphor to symbolize a successful democracy
• Animation is illustrative and engaging

Cons

• None

Common Core

RH.9-10.2 RH.9-10.9 RH.11-12.2 RH.11-12.9