Thisleadsmetoalastreflection，withwhichIshallconcludethischapter。Themoreequaltheconditionsofmenbecome，andthelessstrongmenindividuallyare，themoreeasilydotheygivewaytothecurrentofthemultitude，andthemoredifficultisitforthemtoadherebythemselvestoanopinionwhichthemultitudediscard。Anewspaperrepresentsanassociation;itmaybesaidtoaddresseachofitsreadersinthenameofalltheothers，andtoexertitsinfluenceovertheminproportiontotheirindividualweakness。Thepowerofthenewspaperpressmustthereforeincreaseasthesocialconditionsofmenbecomemoreequal。
ChapterVII:ConnectionOfCivilAndPoliticalAssociationsThereisonlyonecountryonthefaceoftheearthwherethecitizensenjoyunlimitedfreedomofassociationforpoliticalpurposes。Thissamecountryistheonlyoneintheworldwherethecontinualexerciseoftherightofassociationhasbeenintroducedintocivillife，andwherealltheadvantageswhichcivilizationcanconferareprocuredbymeansofit。Inallthecountrieswherepoliticalassociationsareprohibited，civilassociationsarerare。Itishardlyprobablethatthisistheresultofaccident;buttheinferenceshouldratherbe，thatthereisanatural，andperhapsanecessary，connectionbetweenthesetwokindsofassociations。Certainmenhappentohaveacommoninterestinsomeconcern—eitheracommercialundertakingistobemanaged，orsomespeculationinmanufacturestobetried;theymeet，theycombine，andthusbydegreestheybecomefamiliarwiththeprincipleofassociation。Thegreateristhemultiplicityofsmallaffairs，themoredomen，evenwithoutknowingit，acquirefacilityinprosecutinggreatundertakingsincommon。Civilassociations，therefore，facilitatepoliticalassociation:but，ontheotherhand，politicalassociationsingularlystrengthensandimprovesassociationsforcivilpurposes。Incivillifeeverymanmay，strictlyspeaking，fancythathecanprovideforhisownwants;inpolitics，hecanfancynosuchthing。Whenapeople，then，haveanyknowledgeofpubliclife，thenotionofassociation，andthewishtocoalesce，presentthemselveseverydaytothemindsofthewholecommunity:
whatevernaturalrepugnancemayrestrainmenfromactinginconcert，theywillalwaysbereadytocombineforthesakeofaparty。Thuspoliticallifemakestheloveandpracticeofassociationmoregeneral;itimpartsadesireofunion，andteachesthemeansofcombinationtonumbersofmenwhowouldhavealwayslivedapart。
Politicsnotonlygivebirthtonumerousassociations，buttoassociationsofgreatextent。Incivillifeitseldomhappensthatanyoneinterestdrawsaverylargenumberofmentoactinconcert;muchskillisrequiredtobringsuchaninterestintoexistence:butinpoliticsopportunitiespresentthemselveseveryday。Nowitissolelyingreatassociationsthatthegeneralvalueoftheprincipleofassociationisdisplayed。Citizenswhoareindividuallypowerless，donotveryclearlyanticipatethestrengthwhichtheymayacquirebyunitingtogether;itmustbeshowntotheminordertobeunderstood。Henceitisofteneasiertocollectamultitudeforapublicpurposethanafewpersons;athousandcitizensdonotseewhatinteresttheyhaveincombiningtogether—tenthousandwillbeperfectlyawareofit。Inpoliticsmencombineforgreatundertakings;andtheusetheymakeoftheprincipleofassociationinimportantaffairspracticallyteachesthemthatitistheirinteresttohelpeachotherinthoseoflessmoment。Apoliticalassociationdrawsanumberofindividualsatthesametimeoutoftheirowncircle:
howevertheymaybenaturallykeptasunderbyage，mind，andfortune，itplacesthemnearertogetherandbringsthemintocontact。Oncemet，theycanalwaysmeetagain。