
Contents
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
The Need for Excellence in Democracy The Need for Excellence in Democracy
-
Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Tocqueville’s Aristocratic Sensibilities in Practice Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Tocqueville’s Aristocratic Sensibilities in Practice
-
Moral Duties Moral Duties
-
The Ambition of the Aristocrat The Ambition of the Aristocrat
-
The Virtues of Common Ambition: Citizenship The Virtues of Common Ambition: Citizenship
-
Countering Unhealthy Ambition Countering Unhealthy Ambition
-
An Aristocrat with a Democratic Temperament An Aristocrat with a Democratic Temperament
-
FDR Overreaching: The Court Packing Plan andthe 1938 Election FDR Overreaching: The Court Packing Plan andthe 1938 Election
-
The Dual Legacies of FDR: The Not-So-Soft Despotism and the Fading Possibility of Excellence The Dual Legacies of FDR: The Not-So-Soft Despotism and the Fading Possibility of Excellence
-
-
-
-
-
-
4 The Ambition to Recover Democratic Excellence: Tocqueville and Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Get access-
Published:April 2014
Cite
Abstract
This chapter argues that Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America and FDR’s presidency can teach the American people the necessary place of aristocratic virtues of excellence for democratic life. Tocqueville’s aristocratic sensibility and FDR’s presidency show American citizens the importance of maintaining a democratic purpose to American politics and political institutions. Both Tocqueville and FDR share an appreciation for the necessity and virtue of an aristocratic disposition for democratic society and culture: Tocqueville as the consummate theorist and FDR as the consummate practitioner. By comparing Tocqueville’s prescriptions for democratic life in the 19th century with FDR’s presidency, this chapter argues that democratic life depends on nurturing ambition for greatness and excellence in citizens. Without the ambition and spur to public greatness, as Tocqueville and FDR demonstrate, American democracy will tend to flounder in mediocre ineptitude, or succumb to the temptations of prejudice and demagoguery.
Sign in
Personal account
- Sign in with email/username & password
- Get email alerts
- Save searches
- Purchase content
- Activate your purchase/trial code
- Add your ORCID iD
Purchase
Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.
Purchasing informationMonth: | Total Views: |
---|---|
August 2024 | 1 |
October 2024 | 2 |
November 2024 | 1 |
Get help with access
Institutional access
Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:
IP based access
Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.
Sign in through your institution
Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.
If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.
Sign in with a library card
Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.
Society Members
Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:
Sign in through society site
Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:
If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.
Sign in using a personal account
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.
Personal account
A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.
Viewing your signed in accounts
Click the account icon in the top right to:
Signed in but can't access content
Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.
Institutional account management
For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.