Modernism in Politics
In the collection titled Americanism; New Perspectives on the History of an Ideal, Rob Kroes presents his thoughts on the making of American modernity and the three main components: politics, humanism, and existentialism. In terms of politics, Kroes emphasizes the importance of Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America and the way in which it shaped the primary view of American democracy. Kroes says, “[Tocqueville] turns America into an ideal-type for democracy with a view to gaining more general insights into the workings of democracy irrespective of its precise historical setting” (Americanism 224). Tocqueville’s insight into the workings of American politics molded not only French and European ideas of democracy, but also American ideas. Kroes, in some ways, praises Tocqueville by saying:
“Yet, according to Tocqueville, the true American genius that could account for the stability of its republican order was not political; it was social. The pluralism of its social life, the freedom it allowed Americans to engage in manifold associations, was the key to understanding America’s political stability. This view made Tocqueville a father of modern political sociology. But at the same time it made clear what was truly modern about America, which Tocqueville saw as a society whose central organizational vectors were freedom and equality” (Americanism 224).
Even though not an American citizen, Tocqueville was able to comprehend the workings of American politics and display a future of modern democracy.
Kroes, Rob. "French Views of American Modernity. From Text to Subtext." Americanism; New Perspectives on the History of an Ideal. Ed. Michael Kazin and Joseph A. McCartin. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press: 2006. 221-241.
In another article by Rob Kroes, he explains politics in an extremely modern sense, addressing the correlation between democracy and media. Kroes shows the change in politics in the 20th and 21st century and the differences in society that have occurred as well. He starts by saying, " In their critique of American culture, many culture and political conservatives in Europe may have grudgingly paid tribute to the democratic aspirations of American culture. What troubled them, however, was that culture as they observed it in America appeared as not only democratic but also as unashamedly commercial. If the American mode of cultural production and reproduction was geared to the many, it was also geared to the market" (EAS). Quite a turn has been made since the days of Tocqueville, where Europeans embraced the idea of American democracy and complimented it's new view of politics. Kroes introduces important points by showing that European thought on American politics has been degraded over the years. Through a constant obsession with materialism and commercialism, America has sacrificed the positive acknowledgment from others of a stable government. Kroes then later says, "European critics, whether on the Left or the Right of the political spectrum, chose to look at this potent brew of democratic and commercial instincts as a clear case of the commodification of culture" (EAS). As exemplified by Kroes, America has clearly tainted the political waters in order to accommodate the growing demand for a materialistic society.
Kroes, Rob. "American Culture Abroad." Encyclopedia of American Studies. Ed. Miles Orvell. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press: 2008. 24 September 2008. <http://eas-ref.press.jhu.edu/view?aid=523>.
