Separation of Powers and the English Constitution

From The Spirit of Laws by Montesquieu
Political liberty requires that legislative, executive, and judicial powers be distributed among different hands so that power checks power; Montesquieu finds this exemplified in the English constitution.
Book XI, Chapter 4

Famous formulation: "constant experience shews us, that every man invested with power is apt to abuse it... it is necessary from the very nature of things that power should be a check to power."

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Book XI, Chapter 6

Of the Constitution of England - the canonical chapter on separation of powers that influenced the U.S. Constitution and Federalist Papers.

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Book XI, Chapter 6
When the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person... there can be no liberty.
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