Why did Alexis de Tocqueville view political apathy as a danger to democracy?

Alexis de Tocqueville viewed political apathy as a significant danger to democracy because it fostered a climate of acquiescence that allowed for the rise of paternalism and a "mild, stagnant despotism."1

He observed that individualism—which he defined as a moderate selfishness leading citizens to isolate themselves within their own small circles of family and friends—sapped the "virtues of public life." By neglecting communal attachments and public involvement, citizens deprived the state of the active participation necessary to maintain liberal institutions.2

Tocqueville believed that when individuals withdraw from the political sphere, they become increasingly dependent on the state, which he saw as a threat to both liberty and the health of the democratic social order. For Tocqueville, civic virtue and association were the essential remedies to this isolation, as they encouraged the engagement required to prevent the centralization of power and the erosion of freedom.132