De l'esprit des lois
Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de Montesquieu — De l'esprit des lois (1748)Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de Montesquieu · 1748 · Book · Book XI, ch. 6EstablishedSource attached · not independently reviewedCLM-0199 · as of 2026-10-23 · about: Separation of powers · Author: Polity Atlas editorial team
“Montesquieu's De l'esprit des lois (1748) argued that liberty is endangered when legislative and executive power are united. In The Federalist Nos. 47 and 51 Madison adapted the idea to the US Constitution as a system of partly overlapping powers that check one another rather than complete separation.”
Evidence that supports
4The Federalist No. 47: The Particular Structure of the New Government and the Distribution of Power Among Its Different Parts
James Madison — The Federalist No. 47: The Particular Structure of the New Government and the Distribution of Power Among Its Different Parts (1788)James Madison · 1788 · BookThe Federalist No. 51: The Structure of the Government Must Furnish the Proper Checks and Balances Between the Different Departments
James Madison — The Federalist No. 51: The Structure of the Government Must Furnish the Proper Checks and Balances Between the Different Departments (1788)James Madison · 1788 · BookBaron de Montesquieu, Charles-Louis de Secondat
Hilary Bok — Baron de Montesquieu, Charles-Louis de Secondat (2014)Hilary Bok · 2014 · Web pageEvidence that contradicts
0No counter-evidence recorded.
Context
Constitutionalism and the Separation of Powers
Status history
No earlier revisions.
Disputes
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