Should government officials rely on their own judgment or they unquestioningly carry out the will of the people they serve? This is an arguable issue. Since one of government responsibilities or say duties is to serve its people, officials should have no question considering the will of the citizens when they make decisions. In addition, however, there are many other crucial factors which should be taken into account by the government officials when they judge a situation. In other words, government should counterbalance people's will and a nation's long-term development and interests to make wise and significant decisions.
The functions of government, ranging from economic macro-control to political means to deal with other nations, to its obligation of preserving cultural tradition and its responsibility to solve environmental problems, are all closely correlated to their people's life. Correspondingly, the masses have the rights to express their inner will about social issues, and they, as beneficiaries, also have compulsions to cooperate with the government officials and support government's decisions to make their nation greater and more prosperous. According to such close relationship between government and the people they serve, officials will and should not neglect people's desire when they judge something or make some decisions.
Nonetheless, it is not advisable to follow the will of the people no matter what they want and what they think. First and foremost, common people' judgment may emphasis their own benefits and is probably subjective. If so, the whole interest of a nation will be omitted when officials unquestioningly carry out the will of the people they serve. A good example for this aspect is fishermen, who want to make full use of the ocean they live nearby. While oceanographers and environmentalists are all provoking to prevent overt fishing in the ocean in order to protect dearth species. Beyond that, people's will may be various, which may impossibly be satisfied by government officials. For example, some people may think a factory in city center is noisy and harmful to their daily life, while others pay more attention to the factory's economic benefit and job opportunities it provides. In this condition, government has no ability to fulfill all the citizens' will, as a result, officials need their own judgment. Thus, they may decide to move the factory to the near county, where fewer people's life may be disturbed and workers in the factory have not to lose their jobs.
Well, I confess that a democratic will gain their citizens' highly supports and advocacy, especially in dealing with some social problems that closely influence on common people's life. For example, the medical insurance problems and tired people's living safeguard problems are now hotly discussed by people in China, and government cannot underrate their concerns about these vulnerable groups in our society. Otherwise, people may feel unhappy about their leaders, so that they may vent their unsatisfactory in some radical ways and bring troublesome to government and society.
In sum, government officials should reasonably consider people's will and advise as well as a nation's political, economic, cultural and social factors when making decisions or judge something. In this way can government not only acknowledge people's advocating and supporting, but also maintain the long-term benefits and profound development.