as democracy has gone beyond it previous limits. It is clear that during the last fifty years the race of American statesman has strangely shrunk."
             Tocqueville believes that the lower classes actually do desire the good of the country and seem to be able to separate their personal interests better than the upper class. But they don't have the devoted education or ability to judge and come up with the desired end. Furthermore, these people do not have the time to search out the best person, so they are easily swayed with broad ideas and blandishments.
             "The People never can find time or means to devote themselves to such work. They are bound always to make hasty judgments and to seize on the most prominent characteristics. That is why charlatans of every sort so well understand the secret of pleasing them, whereas for the most part their real friends fail in this."
             Furthermore, it is not always ability to choose men of merit which democracy lacks; sometimes it has neither desire nor taste to do so.
             Though Tocqueville does believe that universal suffrage does have its advantages, electing the most qualified leaders is not one of them. "I take it as proved that those who consider universal suffrage as a guarantee of the excellence of the resulting choice suffer under a complete delusion." But, in New England at the time, "where education and liberty spring from morality and religion where there are already old and long-settled societies," the people are able to respect the superior and elect them to office. Though the south is newer and less settled, causing them to make bad judgments and hurt universal suffrage.
             The New England area makes better choices because they their morality and religion have brought forth education and liberty. They are "accustomed to respect intellectual and moral superiority and submit thereto without displeasure; and so we find New England democracy making choices be...