the first political institution

In his classic book on Democracy, Alexis de Tocqueville termed religion the first political institution in America. I would like to take Tocqueville's assertion and relate it to the principle stated in my previous post, namely that the first requirement of a liberal society is for each of us to treat other people decently. The observance of this principle seems to me by far more important to a prosperous, free and democratic society than the size of government or the number of companies that are held by the public sector.

If I interpret Tocqueville correctly, it was the Christian imperative of regard for others that made democracy possible. Indeed, it seems that a democracy can only work when we act with good faith, consideration and respect towards our fellow citizens for only then we can hold the decisions of the majority in due consideration and respect too. A democracy cannot work when we look down on our fellow citizens and consider them wicked or ill-intentioned for in that case we shall have no respect for their majority decisions and democracy becomes doomed to failure.