Montesquieu was an influence on the founding fathers of our country. What idea did he contribute to the Enlightenment? Where in the founding documents of the United States do we see each of those ideas demonstrated?
Montesquieu contributed the idea of separation of powers to the Enlightenment. This concept suggests that governmental power should be divided among different branches or institutions to prevent one entity from becoming too powerful. We can see the influence of this idea in the United States' Constitution, particularly in the system of checks and balances between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
