A "Civil" Government

I constantly find myself trying to take De Tocqueville's book with a grain of salt, try to read it in the context of the period in which it was written, but I cannot.  I immediately apply to the current day, and find De Tocqueville sorely mistaken.  In his section describing the associations in Europe and America, I feel as if he's wishing the governments of Europe would follow the civil discourse of America.  If only he could see it now.

It's unfortunate our political landscape has changed into a battlefield.  Now more than ever it seems the prominent parties are constantly in a war of attrition. Though, due to what I perceive to be the fickle nature of the voting nature of the American public, momentum does shift every two-four years or so.

De Tocqueville also describes the individuality of politics, the ability to make decisions on your own.  If only that were true.  One can turn on the news and see the votes on legislation and see votes on party lines. That's typical.  One can look at the elections and see that independent, moderate voices either are shut out in the primaries or go on to defeat in the general election.  American politics have become polarized to a point De Tocqueville would probably resort to the fetal position.