Question

The passage below is from Federalist No. 47, written by James Madison in 1788:

"...Montesquieu was saying, 'There can be no liberty where the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person, or body..."
Based on this passage, which constitutional principle does Madison describe?

A. Limited government
B. Natural rights
C. Separation of powers
D. Direct democracy

Answer 1

The constitutional principle described by James Madison is Separation of powers.

Step-by-step explanation:

The constitutional principle described by James Madison is Separation of powers.

Madison is referring to Montesquieu's idea that the legislative and executive powers should be separated in order to preserve liberty. This principle is reflected in the U.S. Constitution, where power is divided among three branches of government: the legislative, executive, and judicial.

By having separate branches with distinct powers, no one branch can become too powerful, ensuring a system of checks and balances.