Final answer:
To prevent leaders from gaining unlimited power, a government can be structured with a separation of powers and a system of checks and balances that allows each government branch to restrain the others, protecting against tyranny, oligarchy, or mobocracy.
Step-by-step explanation:
To prevent leaders from gaining unlimited power, a government can be organized into several branches, each with its own distinct powers. This concept is known as the separation of powers, and it includes a system of checks and balances, where each branch of government can check the powers of the others to prevent any one branch from becoming too dominant.
For example, the executive branch, which includes the president, has the ability to veto legislation passed by Congress, but Congress can override a veto with a significant majority. Furthermore, the judiciary has the power to declare acts of Congress or the executive unconstitutional. Moreover, regular elections ensure that leaders are accountable to the people, and foundational documents such as a Bill of Rights protect individual rights from government encroachment. The Founders of the United States, for instance, designed the Constitution to divide power among three branches (legislative, executive, and judicial), each with the authority to restrain the other branches. This structure was intended to prevent any form of government from degrading into tyranny, oligarchy, or mobocracy.