J.S Mill's view on democracy.

 

          J.S Mill is a defender of liberal-democratic regimes despite his concern with their political excesses. He extends his ideology on utilitarianism, liberty along with freedom of expression, limited democracy and qualitative approaches. According to him liberal states are most capable of creating the conditions for progressive moral development. In liberal democracies people are allowed to choose their leadership, express their opinions and responsible for their own life.

          Mill tries to reconcile the principle of political equality with individual freedom. His ideas include the universal adult franchise and equal political right. Mill’s opinion also said that “even though human are equal at the basic level, there are always certain people who due to moral and intellectual training have cultivated their individuality to be better and that is why they are wise enough and their opinions are more better because they may be better educated or may have better skills to judge or in taking decision.

 

          Mill laid down certain conditions for representative democracy in his work, “Consideration on representative government”. He stated that democracy could only function where citizens are active, educated with a strong sense of civic duty and culture of democracy to preserve institutions of democracy.

 

          Mill believes that only some type of citizen is suitable for democracy to exist. If the people are passive, illiterate and can’t understand the responsibility that come with democracy, then the democracy will be very short live and soon some power will overthrown the democracy and will establish dictatorship. So, he was against introduction of democracies in colonies and backward civilizations where he saw people as passive and lacking abilities to participate in a democratic government. In fact Mill felt eastern societies including India had passive citizens due to centuries of despotic rule and not fit for democracy. He felt that some sort of benevolent despotism or rule by superior people through a delegated body was best suited for India.

 

          Mill was also wary of tyranny of majority. He believes that in a liberal democracy, every citizen has power. So, the view of majority which are often mostly average people who do not have much intellect or experience suppress the view of minority which is not correct for individual freedom. For a flourishing liberal democracy, he specified limitations on the power of majoritarian governments and protecting individual rights.

 

          Mill advocated balancing numerical majority by adjusting franchise.

PLURAL/WEIGHTED voting:

          Mill proposed plural voting. In plural voting, he gives to intellectual elites or people who have degree or who come from better background more than one vote. He believes that those intellectual educated people are wiser than the lots of average people and they know much better than the majority and also can take the right decision. So, for the sake of common good which the elite understand much better, it is important to have plural voting so that these intellectual elites can exercise their wisdom or knowledge effectively. He admired the upper house of the lords as a restraining hand on the commons.

 

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION:

            He also proposed proportional representation in the democratic government. He imagines such a system where candidates who couldn’t get majority of votes can also take part in the government. He believes that this type of electoral system would ensure representation for intellectual minorities, something which is not possible to accomplish in single-member district or win-take all systems.

 

OPEN BALLOT:

         J.S Mill was an advocate of open ballot and against secret ballot. He believed that the franchise [voting] is not merely a right but also a public duty. It is a matter of trust because at the end of the day who you vote for, will govern the country and that is a matter of common good. He believed that open ballot will make the people responsible for their choice. He said that the people will be able to keep an eye on every one that is voting, so that people will be responsible for the choices that they make. It can ensure that people are voting according to their rational and not because of certain bias.

 

DISQUALIFICATION OF DEPENDENTS:

          Mill recommended disqualification of the following categories:

1: Those unable to pay local taxes.

2:  Those dependent on public welfare to be excluded from 5 years [poor         relief]

3:  Legal bankrupts and moral deviants.

4: Those people who are illiterates.

 

SUFFRAGE FOR WOMEN:

          He believed that anyone can be a wise and intellectual person including women. He said that all human are equal both men and women and the only difference that exist is because, women do not get adequate opportunities to educate themselves, to employ and to participate in the public space. He was a champion of equal voting and rights for women. He believed that it was character of self control and ability rather than sex that matters. He stands that women must also get voting right and political right.

 

CONCLUSION

          Although there are many positive things in Mill’s ideology on democratic government, many people also criticize his ideology. Mill is often regarded as a reluctant democrat. He imposed many conditions on functioning of representative democracy. The idea of creating legislative elite was believed to violate the premises of democratic decision making. Some people also criticize his ideology of open ballot.

          Despite many look holes, Mill had given the new face of governing people to the world. He suggested many institutional changes in the prevailing constitutional changes in the prevailing constitutional liberal democracies of the west. He was also a feminist who raise the voice for the equal right among women and men in every aspect of life, socially, economically and politically. He believed that democracy may not be a good government but it is still best because it is a self government.