Should government be designed principally to support “the general will”? How could “the general will” be determined? What are potential consequences for members of society who do not agree?

Should government be designed principally to support “the general will”? How could “the general will” be determined? What are potential consequences for members of society who do not agree?
*THIS PART IS ALREADY DONE, JUST HERE FOR REFERENCE. *
In responding to your classmates’ posts, assess the general applicability of Rousseau’s views on the state of nature and the social contract.
one paragraph response should be fine, APA FORMAT
Post 1)
In a sovereign assembly, what the citizens decide is called “the general will”. This is the democratic philosophy that Jean Jacques Rousseau preached in the mid 18th century. The question of whether or not government should support this is an interesting one, especially since Rousseau believed that allowing another to rule over oneself is basically slavery (Bertram, 2017). The government should indeed support the will of majority, and many of the founding fathers believed this as well. Thomas Jefferson stated “The measures of the fair majority… ought always to be respected”. However, “the general will” theory can only really work with a non diverse populace.
The “general will” could only be determined by an assembly of citizens, and that those who do not agree will face a varying decree of consequences. These range from being banned by the state to even death (Bertram, 2017). Some of the ideas that Rousseau preach are understandable in a perfect scenario, however there are many things that are easy to argue. Rousseau’s state of of nature is naturally flawed, considering some form of government is inevitable, and that this state relies on a lack of diversity. Let me know what you think!
Bertram, C. (2017, May 26). Jean Jacques Rousseau. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved November 18, 2021, from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/rousseau/#IdeaGeneWill.
Post 2)
Rousseau’s principle of the general will dictates that the general will is the will of the sovereign, or all the people together, that aims at the common good. Basically, what is best for the state as a whole. It recognizes that each individual has their own idea of what is good or best for them independently, a healthy state prioritizes the best interest of the collective good over their own personal good. In his theory he states, “whoever refuses to obey the general will shall be constrained to do so by the whole body, which means nothing other than that he shall be forced to be free.” (Trott, 2017) Some of his critics, including Benjamin Constant, find this to be authoritarian and while scholars have different takes on this statement, the consensus is that Rousseau main concerned was with the preservation of civil liberty and autonomy, and with ensuring that the government be subordinate to the general will of the people. He believed that a government that makes itself to be above the law and pursues its own interest over those of the public loses its legitimacy. (Munro, n.d.)
I don’t think that there is a single, isolated theory that can be 100% applied to a functional and fair government of the people. However, I do think that Rousseau, much like Locke, make some valid points and so I do think that his idea of ‘the general will’ in some form, should be applied to government. The French Constitution’s 6th article, which is a founding document, defines law as the expression of the general will. In the U.S. such exercises as general, mid-term, and municipal/local elections are an example of the ‘general will.’ It is not necessarily a majority rule’ sort of action as not all American citizens eligible to vote do so, but the outcome is determined by those who do exercise their right to vote. Through these elections a new administration is elected to run the country for all citizens, and all citizens must abide by the laws implemented by the elected government, including said government. Those who do not recognize or simply refuse to accept the laws, are forced to follow them, or face consequences such as incarceration, death, financial fines. The U.S., along with others such as the U.K., Denmark, etc., have some aspect of Rosseau’s ‘general will’ rule in their government structure.
Munro, A. (n.d.). general will | Definition, Antecedents, Debates, & Influence. Encyclopedia Britannica.https://www.britannica.com/topic/general-will
Trott, D. (2017). The general will. Campaign. https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/general-will/1437396