Understanding Democracy and Tocqueville with Dr. Olivier Zunz

Dr. Olivier Zunz, the James Madison Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Virginia, joins the podcast to discuss his work on the life of Alexis de Tocqueville. Tocqueville, the French diplomat, came to America in 1830 to study the country's prison system, but truly studied the American political system as a whole. From that experience, he wrote one of the most influential works: "Democracy in America." Zunz is one of the preeminent scholars on Tocqueville and we discuss how Tocqueville influenced France's political systems and how his works continue to impact the perception and understanding of our own country.