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Alexis de Tocqueville wrote one of the most influential assessments ever written about politics and culture in the United States. Tocqueville traveled widely and his insights into religion, slavery, private association, democratic procedure, individualism, and the American mind and character have been recited and explored by legions of writers. This course will center on reading Tocqueville’s work to examine the strengths and weaknesses of the text. We will then examine the ways his work has influenced subsequent understandings of both America and democracy.