托克维尔论地方自治

地方自治思想在托克维尔的政治哲学中占有着重要地位。在《论美国的民主》中,托克维尔详细考察了美利坚乡镇自治的政治建制以及观念基础,并提出地方自治具有培育公民精神、提高政府行政效率、削弱多数的暴政、对抗个人主义等重要价值。近年来,我国各地方的法治举措频仍,这在法学界引起了一定争议,学者们对地方法治褒贬不一。地方法治与地方自治紧密相关,托克维尔的地方自治思想在中央与地方关系、国家与社会关系以及公民参与等方面对回答我国为何地方法治、如何地方法治等问题有着诸多启示。

TOCQUEVILLE ON LOCAL AUTONOMY

Local autonomy plays an important role in Tocqueville＇s political philosophy.In Democracy in America,Tocqueville investigated the political institution and the concept basis of America＇s town autonomy.In the meanwhile,he thought that the local autonomy can cultivate the spirit of citizen,improve the efficiency of the administration,weaken the tyranny of the majority and confront the individualism.In these years,many provinces in our country carry on local monocracy,which arouses controversy in academia.The scholars support or oppose the local nomocracy.Local nomocracy has a close relation with local autonomy.Therefore,Tocqueville＇s thought of local autonomy has much enlightenment on answering the questions like why we need local nomocracy and how to carry on local nomocracy.