Who developed the idea of separation of powers in government?

• A. Baron de Montesquieu
• B. John Locke
• C. Thomas Hobbes
• D. Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Answer: (A)

Dividing government powers into separate branches to prevent the concentration of power and to keep any one part from getting too powerful. Montesquieu argued that government should be organized into legislative, executive, and judicial branches, each with distinct responsibilities and ways to check the others. This setup protects liberty by creating checks and balances and reducing the chance of tyranny. His ideas directly influenced many modern democracies, including how the United States structures its government. The other thinkers offered important insights—Locke emphasized natural rights and government by consent, Hobbes argued for a strong central authority to avoid chaos, and Rousseau highlighted popular sovereignty—but they did not articulate the explicit three-branch framework with built-in checks and balances the way Montesquieu did.