Essay, Paragraph or Speech on “For Forms of Government Let Fools Contest, Whatever is Best Administered is The Best” Complete Essay, Speech for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

“For Forms of Government Let Fools Contest, Whatever is Best Administered is The Best”

The nineteenth century was the age of revolution. The twentieth century is the age of political experimentation. The world has been convulsed by colossal political changes that have visited the different nations of the world. There is such an incompatibility in the political ideologies that the best brains of the world are puzzled. If the question is left to the decision of armies, the end of the world will be in sight. But if it is to be solved in any way short of an armed conflict, the only condition is that the sanity about the ends of government should prevail and not prejudice about its form. In spite of phenomenal advance of culture and civilization, it is a sad thing to notice that the most advanced nations of today are attaching more value to the form of government than its substance. If they realized that governments exist for the well-being of, humanity and not for the aggrandizement of individuals or nations, they will not fail to see the path of peace and reconciliation along which the happiness of man lies.

What are the functions of a Government and how best are they discharged by the Government is the deciding factor for its being good or bad. There are theories governing the functions of the Government. An individualist would like that government, which interferes the least in the affairs of man. On the contrary, a socialist or a communist would like it to interfere in the modes of production more and more. The best thing is that, if a Government does everything required of it in the interest of the people, it is the best form of Government. There will not be any controversy about its being of one form or the other.

Modern State is a welfare state but it used to be a police State in the past. Similarly, in the past, it had quite a comprehensive sphere of activity and there was no antithesis between the individual and the State but today there are divergent opinions about the relationship of individual with the State. Modern State is required to perform all such functions which are essential for the development and progress of man. Today State is required to perform compulsory as well as optional functions and also positive as well as negative functions. Today, it is accepted that state should not play with the freedom of the individual. So without going into the theories of State functions, we can consider that the Government best administered is the best in structure too.

If the people enjoy security of life and property under a system of Government, it is a good government because it is the duty of the Government to maintain law and order and to see that life, liberty and legally procured property of the people is duly protected. Then the Government should safeguard the national borders and if it fails to do that, then it has virtually no right to exist, because in that circumstance the very existence of the State will be in danger. Another important function of the State is that it should maintain justice. Those who violate State laws are punished. This will give the sense of security and none will feel that he is being exploited by the other. Then there are optional functions like the spread of education, improvement of the citizens’ health, improvement in the means of transportation, providing employment opportunities to the people, etc., which the Government should shoulder. In addition to these functions, the Government is required to perform positive and negative functions as well. The positive functions are those that directly help the individual in his development, e.g., providing employment and raising economic standard of the citizens, etc. On the other hand, negative functions are those which a State performs by hindering others as in the case of maintaining law and order. If a government performs all these functions it can be called the best Government.

But the matter does not end here. Simple declarations of the best intentions in the interest of the people is not test of its being called the best. It has to have a clean and honest administration to give a shape to its welfare politics. It has to see that the people are not, in any way, harassed by the corrupt and dishonest officials. The Government machinery has to function in a very appropriate manner. If the people are delivered the required goods, then it can claim to be the best form of Government, irrespective of its form, which may be democracy, communism, aristocracy, dictatorship, monarchy, oligarchy, polity or any other form. The best touchstone for judging a Government is what good deeds it performs for the people.

It is immaterial what form of Government a country has. The thing that most matters is how best it is administered. If the people are happy with it to the greatest possible extent in the given conditions then definitely, it is the best form of the Government for that country. Pope, therefore, rightly says :

“For forms of Government let fools contest, Whatever is best administered is the best.”