Abstract:

At the time of the British Parliament reform in 1867，representative government set up in Mill’s book was no longer
a Utopia，but a practical blueprint in politics about power distribution. In order to compete for the parliament’s power with
feudal aristocracy，the bourgeoisie had to hold the banner of democracy，to endow themselves the legitimacy of their conducts
and to guide and pave way for the reform. Therefore，the revival of democracy and explanation in accordance with reality
are urgently needed. Meanwhile，from the perspective of their class interest，liberal thought and the realistic environment，
the bourgeoisie had to place necessary restrictions，to the democracy at the same time，so as to guarantee its smooth and stable
running. Therefore，the underlying logic of Mill’s representative government is the thought of democratic revival and restriction.

Key words: Mill, representative government, revival of democracy, restrictions on democracy