Thoreau's Ideal Form Of Government

Thoreau believed that the best government is the one that governs least. His goal was to see his ideal way of how government should operate be adopted in the least time possible and in and it be done in carefully organize stages (Perkins 250). For his master plan would be fully implemented when all the people accepted that a government should not govern at all.

Thoreau states that the current form of government is prone to misuse. Moreover, the government can be used to fulfill a few people selfish needs before the public can get a chance to prevent the misuse (Perkins 250). He gives an example of the Mexican war. He claims that the decision to go to war was work of a few individuals who used the standing government as a tool to accomplish their own desires. Additionally, the public did not have any say on the decision to go to war.

He criticizes the American government that though it claims its main objective is for the nation to prosper.

However, it is losing its integrity in every action is taking. Additionally, according to him the America government can bend to the will of one man (Perkins 250). It is a wooden gun that the people have been given to protect themselves but according to the people expectation of how a government should be, instead of a wooden gun it should be more complex machinery.

Thoreau claims the government has failed to bring any development in the country. For instance, it has failed in keeping the country free, has not educated the nation or settled the west. But he claims the American citizens are the one who have done what the nation has accomplished. Thoreau states that he calls for at once better government, but not for at once no government. To get an ideal government according to Thoreau, the citizens should be asked what kind of government that commands their

respect.
He observes that when the power is on the hands of the people. The majority gets their way but the minority is oppressed. According to his opinion a good government is which the majority do not decide what is right or wrong but conscience prevails. Additionally, he states that a citizen should be treated as a person first before being treated as a subject. Moreover, cooperation with conscience men would cease to be cooperation with conscience (Perkins 290). Changing the accepted view that cooperation has no conscience. Undue respect of the law makes men behave like machines. For example when soldiers are commanded to go to war against their will but they have to obey the order or risk losing their job. The American government claims it stands for liberty although half of its population enslaved. Thoreau sees no need to have a government if such are its deeds.
In conclusion, Thoreau states that a good government is the one that have consent and sanction of the governed. The government should not have pure right over a right citizen and their property but only what they concede to it. The transition of government from absolute to a limited monarchy and then from limited monarchy to democracy is the way to go to achieve true respect for a citizen (Perkins 304).