de Tocqueville...

There are certain things that de Tocqueville suggested about society.

1. One needs to expand the middle class in any society. There should be a very small number of the elite and the lower class. The elite are selfish and a burden to society with their indulgences. The lower class are also a burden to society, and a bitter people. They are worked soo hard and have nothing to show for it. There is no hope of ever climbing the social ladder and this only makes them harbour a lot of resentment towards those that "have". Any chance they have to vent out their anger, they will probably pick on the middle class, never the elite; those are like gods among them, untouchables...
2. Why a large base of the middle class? These are the professionals. They are the entrepreneurs. They wake up early for at least 6 days of the week to go to work for at least 8 hours. They want to give their children the best, and they aspire to live comfortably; always striving to get to the top and if not they just want to earn enough to live comfortably for the rest of their lives. They value hard work, family and friends. But they also very individualistic.They value ownership- read property. it serves as security to life. The more you have the better.
3. The values of the middle class ensure a stable society. a successful life is dependent on the welfare of one's neighbour. They thrive in a stable orderly society, they therefore work hard to ensure that it remains so. They also compromise a lot to maintain their stable environment. The middle class is not too political. They do not rely on the state for much. They expect the State to maintain a safe environment for their businesses, investments, and one that they can continue with their daily routine of earning a living.
   
4. Having said that, the middle class man will vote when he is required to, mostly on the basis of policy bias, if his man wins, then he goes on with his life. If his man does not win...life still goes on. Only, the other guy should not change the environment to his detriment. And even if he does, the middle class man tries to adapt to the system to continue thriving. The middle class has certain values that really make him the ideal citizen. I have already mentioned that he is hardworking. He is also non- violent.
   
5. I should mention that these are inferences made on what de Tocqueville wrote on the American society and the critique that Dr. Gayle from my political science class made on it.