ABSTRACT
Most citizens of the United States assume that political parties will compete with each other and political outcomes at every level will be largely decided by public officials elected democratically for short terms of office. This chapter considers what is the purpose of a state, and how many forms of government there are by which human society is regulated. The reason why there are many forms of government is that every state contains many elements. There are generally thought to be two principal forms, democracy and oligarchy. The chapter certainly first obtains some general notion of the virtue of the citizen. He who has the power to take part in the deliberative or judicial administration of any state is said by people to be a citizen of that state. People's purpose is to consider what form of political community is best of all for those who are most able to realize their ideal of life.
