Alexis de Tocqueville was a French political thinker and historian best known for his work Democracy in America. He traveled to the United States in 1831 and spent nine months studying the nation's prisons, politics, and society. He wrote a two-volume book about his observations and experiences, which was published in 1835 and 1840. In it, he discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the American political system, the importance of religion in American life, and the role of the press in a democracy. He also wrote about the importance of individualism and the need for a strong central government. His work has been widely influential in the development of modern political thought.
