''Considerations on Representative Government'' is a book by
John Stuart Mill published in 1861.
Summary
Mill argues for
representative government, the ideal form of government in his opinion. One of the more notable ideas Mill puts forth in the book is that the business of government representatives is not to make
legislation
Legislation is the process or result of enrolling, enacting, or promulgating laws by a legislature, parliament, or analogous governing body. Before an item of legislation becomes law it may be known as a bill, and may be broadly referred to ...
. Instead Mill suggests that representative bodies such as
parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...
s and
senates are best suited to be places of public debate on the various opinions held by the population and to act as watchdogs of the professionals who create and administer laws and policy. In his words:
[.]
References
External links
Complete text of the book on Project Gutenberg*
1861 books
Books about democracy
Books by John Stuart Mill
Books in political philosophy
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