Associationalism and Panopticism in American Democracy: An Analysis of Jewish Power

Abstract

This paper combines the theories of Alexis de Tocqueville and Michel Foucault to explain the political power Jewish associations have accrued in the United States. By applying Tocqueville’s idea of associationalism and Foucault’s interpretation of panopticism together, it is possible to analyze how the majority and minority access and respond to power in American Democracy. Through associationalism, American Jews could make themselves visible without breaching any norms—and could become part of the structure of panoptic surveillance as well. Jewish experiences as a diaspora people prepared Jewish associations for the challenges of assimilation and political organizing. This research draws upon mostly Tocqueville and Foucault’s classic texts, articles on Jewish studies, and primary sources including memoirs.