John Stuart Mill’s Perspective of Representative Government

JOHN STUART MILL’S PERSPECTIVE OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
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John Stuart Mill’s Perspective of Representative Government
           John Stuart Mill Stuart was an influential thinker who did significant work on topics such as liberty, utilitarianism, and representative government, among others. The following is an account and critical analysis of how Mill supported and challenged the idea of a representative government. To critically analyze Mill’s perspectives on representative government, primary sources will be utilized to identify his arguments on the subject, and a critical commentary, supported by secondary sources, will be provided.
           In his work titled Considerations on Representative Government, Mill posited that the best form of government that would “…promote not some one improvement, but all forms and degrees of it” (Mill 1861, p. 398) is a representative government and proceeded to give reasons to support his belief. Mill believed that a representative government would give people a voice so that they could become actively engaged in designing their future and achieving their interests. Mill argued that in a representative government, every individual would take part in governance either by “having a voice in the exercise of that ultimate sovereignty” (Mill 1861, p. 403) or by partially participating in the government (Mill 1861, p. 404). Mill understood the importance of the people’s voice and participation. He knew that when the citizens’ voices were ignored, it bred restlessness and could be the government’s fall and those in power. Also, he understood the power of public opinions in driving social and political change. He noted that in other forms of government, such as the Monarchy, when the opinions of the majority were ignored, there would “arise a permanent antagonism between the people and one individual…” (Mill 1861, p. 402). However, a representative government allows individuals to air their opinions, which are then considered in determining how the needs of the citizens will be met.
           Mill’s support of a representative government was rooted in the belief that people could only meet their needs and self-interests if they were in a position to fight for those needs. Mill noted that a person “is the only safe guardian of his own rights and interest” (Mill 1861, p. 404), meaning that every man would focus on fighting for his interests. Naturally, human beings are self-centered and are more likely to focus on what they can do for themselves instead of what others can do for them. Mill understood this nature of people and believed that those in power would focus on meeting their self-interests at the expense of their subordinates, albeit unintentionally (Mill 1861, p. 405). To remedy this risk, he recommended a representative government that would allow every man to participate in the government through one action or another. As Krouse (1982, p. 528) indicates, Mill’s assertions were that the i...