In order for a government in prosper, it is necessary for each member of the society to play their part successfully. When responsibility is avoided, order and structure begins to crumble until civilization is left in ruins. These same standards apply in any setting, even a deserted island.
A Weak Society
Once it is evident that their chances of rescue are slim, it is immediately clear to the boys that they must create a society that is nearly identical to the one they knew before the plane crash, one that was created by adults miles away from the desolate island they have found themselves on. As a result, they establish order; they choose Ralph as their elected leader and identify the roles and responsibilities of the separate groups of boys. It is decided that Ralph and his companions will explore the island and later create shelters for everyone. Jack and his choir are the established hunters, a role Jack is very happy to hold. The "littluns," or the small children, are merely expected to play and hold no specific responsibilities other than to attend the meetings that Ralph calls periodically with his conch shell.
At first, it seems as though their replicated society will be successful. However, Ralph makes a key mistake: he does not consider whether or not the boys are capable of performing the responsibilities they are given; instead, he blindly assumes the boys will cooperatively work together for the sake of their survival.
The Social Contract
Ralph's goals for the island can be clearly related to the Social Contract, written by philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. In it, Rousseau states that each individual works for their own best interests while the sovereign, or a collective group of people, work for the common good. Ralph therefore believes it is necessary for each boy on the island to fulfill their responsibilities in order for structure to be present on the island. The contract also states that assemblies should be held in which the people's vote is based not on their own personal wants or interests but rather on what will benefit their society in the best way possible. When Ralph calls his meetings, he expects the boys to do just that. However, it becomes clear over time that the boys are not as willing to follow the Social Contract as Ralph would have hoped.
Ralph originally hopes that the boys will do three things: build shelter, create and tend to a fire, and have water brought from the stream and left in coconut shells to drink from. Each of these things are basic human needs necessary for survival, and yet they go undone. In the case of the shelters, all the boys build the first one, then just a few boys help with the second, and the third is left for Ralph and Simon to build.
The biggest responsibility that is avoided is the fire. Ralph never wavers on his opinion of the fire; he is always reminding the boys that they must keep the flames going so that a passing ship will see the smoke and rescue them. Despite his constant reminders, the boys don't seem to understand how vital it is to their survival and they let it go unattended. This proves a crucial mistake; a ship passes near the island and Ralph rushes to alert the boys who were supposed to keep the fire going. However, by the time he reaches them, the ship has passed, along with their hope of rescue.
Political Parties
This moment marks a dividing point between Ralph and Jack. It had always been clear that the two boys had differing ideas on how things should be run on the island, and the fire incident brought these differences to the surface. Ralph was a practical and thoughtful leader; he knew that their main goal on the island should be to put all their energy into survival and working towards rescue. Jack was more of a savage leader in the sense that he wanted to hunt and play all day, he was unable to differentiate between "fun and games" and the reality of the situation they were in. His bloodthirsty and ritualistic mindset when it came to hunting pigs was frightening to Ralph and Piggy, especially when it distracted the boys from their responsibilities.
As time passed, it was obvious that the boys were no longer united under one leader. Everyone except for a few littluns, Piggy, and Sam and Eric join Jack's "tribe," leaving Ralph hopelessly outnumbered. Eventually, disagreements between the two groups became violent and any chance of the island becoming united again was diminished.
War
Jack created a society that lost all resemblance of civilization; the boys in his "tribe" had become completely savage; they painted their faces, hunted, and punished those that went against them. They identified Ralph, Piggy, and their followers as the enemy and their goal was to destroy those would not join Jack's tribe. Soon, the "fun and games" of playing war and hunting became their reality and their prey was Ralph.
As a result of their violence and savagery, Piggy was murdered. It was now evident to Ralph that this was no longer a game, but a true war.
By the time the remaining boys were rescued, the island was destroyed and the last remaining pieces of the structure the boys had set up was burned along with the trees.
What does this Mean?
Ultimately, when structure disappears and the people of a society fail to unite together towards a common good, government can not prosper.