This philosophe separated the government into three branches of government and argued for separation of powers.

This philosophe separated the government into three branches of government and argued for separation of powers.

• A. Voltaire
• B. Diderot
• C. Montesquieu
• D. Locke

Answer: (C)

The main idea being tested is separation of powers: dividing government into distinct branches to prevent the concentration of power and provide checks and balances. Montesquieu argued that lawmaking, law enforcement, and judging should be handled by different bodies so that no single group could dominate the entire system. This tripartite structure—legislative to make laws, executive to enforce them, and judicial to interpret them—creates mutual oversight among branches, reducing the risk of tyranny and protecting liberty. His analysis and emphasis on how powers should be distributed are why his name is tied to this concept; it’s the clear framework he proposed for a balanced government, and it influenced many modern constitutions, including the idea that different branches restrain each other. Other Enlightenment thinkers contributed in important ways, but not with this formal three-branch separation. Voltaire championed civil liberties and criticized tyranny; Diderot helped spread knowledge through the Encyclopédie; Locke argued for natural rights and government by consent, emphasizing limits on rulers. Yet Montesquieu is the one who specifically articulated the tripartite division of power and the protections that come from keeping those powers separate.

The main idea being tested is separation of powers: dividing government into distinct branches to prevent the concentration of power and provide checks and balances. Montesquieu argued that lawmaking, law enforcement, and judging should be handled by different bodies so that no single group could dominate the entire system. This tripartite structure—legislative to make laws, executive to enforce them, and judicial to interpret them—creates mutual oversight among branches, reducing the risk of tyranny and protecting liberty. His analysis and emphasis on how powers should be distributed are why his name is tied to this concept; it’s the clear framework he proposed for a balanced government, and it influenced many modern constitutions, including the idea that different branches restrain each other.

Other Enlightenment thinkers contributed in important ways, but not with this formal three-branch separation. Voltaire championed civil liberties and criticized tyranny; Diderot helped spread knowledge through the Encyclopédie; Locke argued for natural rights and government by consent, emphasizing limits on rulers. Yet Montesquieu is the one who specifically articulated the tripartite division of power and the protections that come from keeping those powers separate.