Reference no: EM132517865

One way the government attempts to protect individual rights and maintain social order is through the criminal justice system. This system, just like the government as a whole, relies on the public's acceptance and cooperation in order to be effective. Historically though, American society was born out of mistrust of the government and refusal to accept authority. Alexis de Tocqueville describes his observations of America while touring the country in 1832, in his 1835 book Democracy in America. One of the observations de Tocqueville made about democracy was its ability to turn citizens against authority. He found Americans refused to think anyone had authority over them regardless of whether or not they earned authority through hard work, education or title (Tocqueville & Reeve, 2009).