Which concept did Montesquieu emphasize to prevent tyranny in government?

Which concept did Montesquieu emphasize to prevent tyranny in government?

• A. The separation of powers
• B. The divine right of kings
• C. A universal suffrage without checks
• D. The legalism of totalitarianism

Answer: (A)

Separation of powers prevents tyranny by distributing government authority into distinct branches that can check and balance one another. Montesquieu argued that liberty is best protected when no single part of government controls all the power, so responsibilities are divided among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Each branch operates within its own sphere, and each has the ability to limit the others’ actions. This creates a system of mutual constraints so that abuses of power are less likely, because an overreaching branch can be checked by the others and by the Constitution itself. Other ideas described don’t build in those protective checks. The divine right of kings concentrates power in one ruler, which can lead to unchecked authority. A system with universal suffrage without any checks can still slide toward tyranny if there are no limits on how power is exercised or protected rights. A legalistic totalitarian model uses law to justify centralized control rather than distributing power and creating real accountability. Montesquieu’s approach specifically aims to prevent such concentration by balancing and constraining power across branches.

Separation of powers prevents tyranny by distributing government authority into distinct branches that can check and balance one another. Montesquieu argued that liberty is best protected when no single part of government controls all the power, so responsibilities are divided among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Each branch operates within its own sphere, and each has the ability to limit the others’ actions. This creates a system of mutual constraints so that abuses of power are less likely, because an overreaching branch can be checked by the others and by the Constitution itself.

Other ideas described don’t build in those protective checks. The divine right of kings concentrates power in one ruler, which can lead to unchecked authority. A system with universal suffrage without any checks can still slide toward tyranny if there are no limits on how power is exercised or protected rights. A legalistic totalitarian model uses law to justify centralized control rather than distributing power and creating real accountability. Montesquieu’s approach specifically aims to prevent such concentration by balancing and constraining power across branches.