Final answer:
Rousseau's ideal government consisted of the general will of the people and direct democracy, where citizens actively participate in making laws that reflect the common good, as opposed to representative systems.
Step-by-step explanation:
Jean-Jacques Rousseau's ideal government consisted of two fundamental parts, which were outlined in his influential work, The Social Contract. Firstly, he believed in the general will of the people, a collective decision-making process that reflects the true good of all citizens, representing the sovereign power.
Secondly, he advocated for a direct democracy in which citizens are directly involved in the legislative process and must not delegate their civic duties to representatives. Rousseau's vision stood in stark contrast to other thinkers like Hobbes and Locke, who supported different systems of government.
Rousseau argued that the general will is the true power of any legitimate government, favoring its expression through a communal legislative assembly rather than through a monarch or elected representatives. Furthermore, he envisioned a society where laws would reduce income inequality and promote civic education to reinforce civic virtue and a unified political community.