The pursuit of wealth generally diverts men of great talents and strong passions from the pursuit of power; and it frequently happens that a man does… - Alexis de Tocqueville

Furthermore, when citizens are all almost equal, it becomes difficult for them to defend their independence against the aggressions of power.

It is almost never when a state of things is the most detestable that it is smashed, but when, beginning to improve, it permits men to breathe, to reflect, to communicate their thoughts with each other, and to gauge by what they already have the extent of their rights and their grievances. The weight, although less heavy, seems then all the more unbearable.

America is a land of wonders, in which everything is in constant motion and every change seems an improvement.