Considerations on Representative Government

by

John Stuart Mill, 1861

Edited with an Introduction, by
CURRIN V. SHIELDS

Table of Contents

  1. To what extent Forms of Government are a Matter of Choice.
  2. The Criterion of a Good Form of Government.
  3. That the ideally best Form of Government is Representative Government.
  4. Under what Social Conditions Representative Government is Inapplicable.
  5. Of the Proper Functions of Representative Bodies.
  6. Of the Infirmities and Dangers to which Representative Government is Liable.
  7. Of True and False Democracy; Representation of All, and Representation of the Majority only.
  8. Of the Extension of the Suffrage.
  9. Should there be Two Stages of Election?
  10. Of the Mode of Voting.
  11. Of the Duration of Parliaments.
  12. Ought Pledges to be Required from Members of Parliament?
  13. Of a Second Chamber.
  14. Of the Executive in a Representative Government.
  15. Of Local Representative Bodies.
  16. Of Nationality, as connected with Representative Government.
  17. Of Federal Representative Governments.
  18. Of the Government of Dependencies by a Free State.
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX

This is a modified and expanded version of a copy rendered into HTML on 12 April 1998, by Steve Thomas for The University o