Which Enlightenment philosopher is best known for the idea that branches of government should be separated to check one another’s power?

Baron de Montesquieu argued that political power should be divided among separate branches of government so each could limit the others. This system of checks and balances helps prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful. James Madison later helped apply this idea in the U.S. Constitution, but Montesquieu is the Enlightenment philosopher best known for it.

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