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This The Power of the Majority over Thought lesson plan also includes:
- Notes to the Teacher: Why Tocqueville is So Critical of American Democracy (.pdf)
- Worksheet: The Power of the Majority over Thought (.pdf)
- Worksheet (teacher version): The Power of the Mover Thought (.pdf)
- Volume 2, Part 2, Chapter 7, of Democracy in America, “Of the Power of the Majority over Thought.”
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While Alexis de Tocqueville mourned a lack of "freedom of discussion" in America in the early republic, today's pupils are concerned about peer pressure. Using excerpts of de Tocqueville's writing and discussion questions, scholars consider how these two dynamics are similar. Prompts probe the significance of these concerns for today's democracy.
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Adaptable
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Instructional Ideas
- Ask class members to come up with current examples of de Tocqueville's main ideas
- Compare the dynamics in the lesson to those in works of fiction learners have already read
Classroom Considerations
- Final installment in the "Tyranny of the Majority" three-part series
Pros
- Resource makes ideas in the early republic relevant to today
- Teaching notes make using the resource simple
Cons
- None