Democracy in America IV

"...one is bound to notice all classes show great confidence in their country's legislation, feeing a sort paternal of love for it." -de Tocqueville in Democracy in America, pg. 241


At first when I read this, I thought he meant the actual legislation that has been passed in America and I immediately disagreed because we definitely do not all feel confident in all the laws that Congress passes.  For example, many people don't agree with Obama's new health care plan.  You definitely can't say that all classes in America feel very good, or confident, about this legislation.  But I think that de Tocqueville means law in general, like he talks about the respect for the law by Americans in this particular section.  I do feel that we are confident in the ways laws are passed and the way we obey them.  We have a lofty view of the idea of law and the intangible authority it has on our daily lives.  Part of the reason for this is like Alexis says, we feel some responsibility for what is passed into law because we elect our representatives in Congress.  I think another reason for this is the fact that we're all subject to the same laws and expected to submit to the law because of our participation in its existence.  It would have been interesting to talk to de Tocqueville and talk to him about the difference between Americans' and the French's idea of "respect for the law."