what aspects of american society is most striking to tocqueville? why does this aspect stand out to him

Alexis de Tocqueville highlights the importance that the people from the United States give to the efforts and to merit; the wise separation between the political powers and religion; the federalism, and not giving powers to the central government from the local governorships; the mixed institutions at the government constitution, and the separation of powers. But for Tocqueville the most striking condition of American society was equality.

Tocqueville was amazed at American society's pluralism. He believed that new strings were needed to encourage common interests in democratic periods of time, as well as the reinforcement of the individuals against the influence of the majority and of the government. He thought that the United States provided the most forwarded in time example of equality in action. He admired American independence, but also advised that a society of individuals can become broken into pieces and invariable when every citizen is lost in the crowd. He also warned of the dangers he observed in some American tendencies, specially in what is referred to egalitarianism that leds to slavery, at the risk of forgetting the liberty values when focused only on material goods.

The fixation of Alexis de Tocqueville with equality did not let him see that one of the most attractive characteristics of humans is the differences among them. He also saw contradiction and irony in American society, when trying to explain how the nation that proclaims and loves freedom mistreated its Natives and embraced slavery; and how people of equality rejected the idea of equal benefits or advantages.