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Separation Of Powers

SEPARATION OF POWERS Over two hundred years ago our Founding Fathers gathered in Philadelphia, PA to rewrite the constitution. In rewriting the Constitution there was one change that they wanted to make above all. That was within this new government there would be a Separation of Powers of each branch of government. Developing a system that was fair and equal to all was also a big part of the equation. Another part was making a government that was centered around the Federal government and not the state. To create such a government meant creating a system that did not give to much power to any one person or organization. They accomplished this by fragmenting the government and creating a separation of powers. By dividing the government into three separate branches it would take total power away from anyone group. Which also created a checks and balance system that would not allow any abuse of power by either of the branches. Although our Founding Fathers were extremely bright men who had minds of their own, they were still subject to outside influences when it came to writing the constitution and developing a new and improved government. A major influence on our Founding Fathers democratic beliefs was the Greek historian Polybius who wrote 40-volume Histories of Rome from 220 to 146 B.C. Some consider the French philosopher Charles Louis de Secondat Baron de Montesquieu the author of the checks and balance system the most prominent influence on our Founding Fathers. They cite his work Spirit of the Laws as the authority in this area. James Madison was quoted as saying in reference to Secondat, “the oracle who is always consulted and cited on this subject is the celebrated Montesquieu.” There is no doubt that Montesquieu had and influence on the founding fathers, but even Montesquieu was influenced by others. A large portion of Montesquieu’s work was borrowed from Polybius’s theory of mixed constit...

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Separation Of Powers. (1969, December 31). In Retrieved 12:00, May 28, 2015, from