Associations in the U.S.

          Tocqueville gives the reason for creating associations when he says, "The citizen of the United States is taught from infancy to rely upon his own exertions, in order to resist the evils and the difficulties of life; he looks upon the social authority with an eye of mistrust and anxiety, and he claims its assistance only when he is unable to do without it" (104).    He then goes on to define an association as: "An association consists simply in the public assent which a number of individuals give to certain doctrines; and in the engagement which they contract to promote in a certain manner the spread of those doctrines...An association unites into one channel the efforts of diverging minds, and urges them vigorously towards the one end which it clearly points out" (105).
           First of all, I think both of these quotes relate back to our discussion on Friday about what exactly a voluntary association is -- they helped me solidify my understanding of associations.
          Secondly, thinking about how Tocqueville also mentioned that the U.S. has used associations successfully, and without them, the U.S. might not be what it is today.  This made me realize how much gets done as a result of associations -- political movements,  rights movements, even places as "simple" as the YMCA...none of this would have happened without people creating associations.  Even here at St. Olaf people make clubs or organizations to gather people with the same interests and intentions...and they get stuff done (such as the new "after dark committee").  It is almost scary to think about what the U.S. would be had individuals not gotten together and created these associations -- we would definitely not be the same nation as we are right now.