In our time podcast gets some extra time now with a few minutes of bonous material from melvorne. Next week, a year before brecket, in our time, we'll take a pause for a special day o programming on radio for on britain at the cross roads. Will be back in a fortnight with roman slavery. Can i just say ee? What do you think about democratic despotism as it comes to france and napoleon? Do you know anyone who would like to share their thoughts or stories that have been inspired by this article? Please email emma.smith@mailonline.co.uk.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859) and his examination of the American democratic system. He wrote De La Démocratie en Amérique in two parts, published in 1835 and 1840, when France was ruled by the July Monarchy of Louis-Philippe. Tocqueville was interested in how aspects of American democracy, in the age of President Andrew Jackson, could be applied to Europe as it moved away from rule by monarchs and aristocrats. His work has been revisited by politicians ever since, particularly in America, with its analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of direct democracy and its warnings of mediocrity and the tyranny of the majority.
With
Robert Gildea
Professor of Modern History at the University of Oxford
Susan-Mary Grant
Professor of American History at Newcastle University
and
Jeremy Jennings
Professor of Political Theory and Head of the School of Politics & Economics at King's College London
Producer: Simon Tillotson.