Trailer: Tocqueville Road Trip

Alexis de Tocqueville’s 19th-century masterpiece, *Democracy in America*, serves as the foundational lens for evaluating the current state of the United States as it approaches its 250th anniversary. While Tocqueville originally viewed America as a revolutionary "idea" with the power to inspire global followers akin to a religion, modern faith in American leadership and its democratic institutions is increasingly under fire. This investigation retraces Tocqueville’s original nine-month journey, contrasting his historical observations with contemporary realities gathered from diverse voices, including New York high society, incarcerated individuals at Sing Sing, and political operatives. By examining these disparate experiences—from pride in political subpoenas to the degradation of constitutional rights in holding cells—the inquiry seeks to determine if Tocqueville’s insights remain a valid guidebook for the future or if the American experiment has fundamentally diverged from its democratic origins.