Question

Which idea was Montesquieu’s contribution to ideas about government?

Answer 1

Montesquieu's most significant contribution to ideas about government was the concept of the separation of powers. In his seminal work, "The Spirit of the Laws," published in 1748, he argued that political authority should be divided into three branches: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial. This separation was intended to prevent any one branch from gaining too much power and to provide a system of checks and balances. Montesquieu's ideas have had a profound influence on modern democratic governance and were particularly influential in shaping the structure of the United States Constitution.