Tocqueville, Alexis (-Charles-Henri-Maurice Clérel) de

(born July 29, 1805, Paris, France—died April 16, 1859, Cannes) French political scientist, historian, and politician. Born into an aristocratic family, he entered government service by choice. After the July Revolution of 1830, his position became precarious because of his family's ties to the ousted king, and he undertook a nine-month study trip to the U.S. with his friend Gustave de Beaumont. Out of it came his best-known work, Democracy in America, 4 vol. (1835–40), a highly perceptive and prescient analysis of the American political and social system, as well as of the vitality, excesses, and potential future of democracy, with attention to the situation in France. He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1839 and held various political offices after the Revolution of 1848. The Old Regime and the Revolution (1856), a pessimistic analysis of French political tendencies, was the first volume of his unfinished study of the French Revolution.

Learn more about Tocqueville, Alexis (-Charles-Henri-Maurice Clérel) de with a free trial on Britannica.com.

(born July 29, 1805, Paris, France—died April 16, 1859, Cannes) French political scientist, historian, and politician. Born into an aristocratic family, he entered government service by choice. After the July Revolution of 1830, his position became precarious because of his family's ties to the ousted king, and he undertook a nine-month study trip to the U.S. with his friend Gustave de Beaumont. Out of it came his best-known work, Democracy in America, 4 vol. (1835–40), a highly perceptive and prescient analysis of the American political and social system, as well as of the vitality, excesses, and potential future of democracy, with attention to the situation in France. He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1839 and held various political offices after the Revolution of 1848. The Old Regime and the Revolution (1856), a pessimistic analysis of French political tendencies, was the first volume of his unfinished study of the French Revolution.

Learn more about Tocqueville, Alexis (-Charles-Henri-Maurice Clérel) de with a free trial on Britannica.com.

CLA is a three-letter abbreviation that may mean:

• California Library Association
• Canadian Lacrosse Association
• Canadian Library Association
• Caprivi Liberation Army
• Carry Look-Ahead Adder
• Causal layered analysis
• Cavity Length Analysis
• Child Language Acquisition
• Chris Lord-Alge
• Christian Law Association
• Cigarette Lighter Adapter
• Civil Liberties Association, especially:
• Canadian Civil Liberties Association
• Clandon railway station, Surrey, England; station code CLA
• Claremont (Amtrak station), New Hampshire, United States; Amtrak station code CLA
• Classroom/Laboratory/Administration building (CLA building) a 183,000-square-foot building in the Cal Poly Pomona campus.
• Clean, lubricate, adjust: standard procedure for camera and lens maintenance
• Clutterers Anonymous
• Collective Labor Agreement
• Colorado Leadership Alliance
• Command Line Arguments
• Computer Law Association
• Conjugated linoleic acid (a naturally occurring trans fat in the human diet; also a dietary supplement)
• Contributor License Agreement
• Country Land and Business Association (formerly the Country Landowners' Association)
• Cuban Liberator Army
• Company Leased Accommodation (India)
• College of Liberal Arts

People with the name Cla:

• Cla Meredith (baseball), relief pitcher for the San Diego Padres