What were the basic ideas of Montesquieu?

The Baron Montesquieu's, Charles Louis de Secondat, most famous contribution by far is the idea of the separation of powers and checks and balances. read more

The main idea of Charles Montesquieu was the introduction of three branches of government (Executive, Legislative, and Judicial) and the system of checks and balances. Simply put, the separation of power. read more

Born Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brede et de Montesquieu, Montesquieu was born in France in January, 1689, and died in February 1755. His mother and father both had noble histories, and his mother had a large monetary fortune. read more

Montesquieu's most influential work divided French society into three classes (or trias politica, a term he coined): the monarchy, the aristocracy, and the commons. Montesquieu saw two types of governmental power existing: the sovereign and the administrative. The administrative powers were the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. read more