The separation of powers is a fundamental constitutional doctrine that divides the government into three distinct branches: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial. Each branch has its own separate and independent powers and responsibilities:
- The Legislative Branch makes laws.
- The Executive Branch enforces and administers those laws.
- The Judicial Branch interprets the laws and adjudicates disputes.
The main purpose of this division is to prevent any one branch from gaining too much power and to provide a system of checks and balances. This means each branch has certain powers that allow it to monitor and limit the functions of the other branches, ensuring no one part of the government can dominate or abuse power. This concept was notably articulated by Montesquieu in the 18th century, emphasizing that liberty is threatened if legislative, executive, and judicial powers are not kept separate. The separation of powers fosters a balanced government structure where powers are neither unified nor excessively fused in one body or individual, thus preserving democratic governance and protecting against tyranny. In essence, separation of powers is about distributing government responsibilities among different institutions so that they can check each other and no single branch can control all aspects of government.
