# IX: The Marks of a Good Government explained — The Social Contract

> Chapter companion for The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

## What happens

Rousseau argues that the best government cannot be determined absolutely, as it depends on the relative situations of nations. However, the mark of good government is empirical: the population increases and prospers under it, while a declining population indicates poor governance.

## Themes in this chapter

### Sovereignty and Government

Rousseau discusses how to evaluate government performance, linking it to the preservation and prosperity of the people, which is the end of political association.

## Key lines

> What is the end of political association? The preservation and prosperity of its members. And what is the surest mark of their preservation and prosperity? Their numbers and population.

The purpose of political society is the well-being and survival of its members, and the clearest indicator of this is population growth.

_Rousseau presents population increase as an objective, measurable sign of good government._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_social_contract_se/chapters/ix-the-marks-of-a-good-government
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_social_contract_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_social_contract_se/chapters