Considerations on Representative Government

Question 1

Good Government

Answer 1

1) promotes well-being of governed
2) twofold division of merit that: governments can posses: “degree in which they promote the general mental advancement” and how they organize the moral and intellectual skill already present.
3) judged by what it makes of citizens and what it does with them
4) priority of f generating mental advancement

Question 2

Tripartite Case for Democracy

Answer 2

1) protects minority and individual rights
2) enlists all personal energies in promoting good governance and general prosperity
3) enhances national character
4) 1-3 linked to Mills perfectionism

Question 3

Enhancing national character

Answer 3

1) absence of popular involvement in government degrades character
2) consistent with active character type
3) allows for intellectual prowess
4) formal political authority serves as impetus for political effort
5) political activity provides political education
6) political activity improves morality by teaching concern for public interest
7) these virtues are mostly connected to direct democracy (why he advocates for it on a local level)

Question 4

Million Enlightened Despotism

Answer 4

1) Mill defends despotism over barbarians under three conditions
A) “end must be their improvement”
B) “means justified by actually achieving that end”
C) must be brought about using persuasive force or least coercive force
2) must be self-extinguishing

Question 5

Defects of Representative Democracy

Answer 5

1) “general ignorance” in government to bring talent to government need to combine aristocratic bureaucracy and representative democracy
2) dangers of interest groups, tyranny of majority, class legislation etc.

Question 6

Bringing talent to government

Answer 6

1) ruling body is small and skilled
2) members make pubic affairs their sole occupation
3) combine aristocracy of public functionaries and representative democracy
4) three-tiered system of Govt

Question 7

Three-tiered system of government

Answer 7

1) highly skilled administrative bureaucracy selected by legislature
2) legislature elected by people
3) electorate
4) participants in all three tiers develop mental and moral faculties

Question 8

Danger of Similar Interests

Answer 8

1) interests that conflict with the general good
2) Mill worries about numerical majority groups that advocate for special interest
3) “sinister interests” that pass class legislation that is detrimental to the whole
4) balancing key factions

Question 9

Universal, graduated Suffrage

Answer 9

1) Required by justice for political education
2) three Temporary exceptions
A) literacy requirement
B) tax-payer requirement all must pay a “head-tax” to be a part of electorate
C) Welfare Disqualification people who live on other people money shouldn’t vote because they are bias
3) Graduated Suffrage man who is more intelligent is “entitled to a superior weight”
4) brought about by (1st best) standardized testing or assumptions made by occupation/education with voluntary exam alternative

Question 10

Education

Answer 10

1) Mill argue for universal education that is government funded but not government determined

Question 11

Women’s Suffrage

Answer 11

1) irrelevant to political rights as the “colour of the hair”