Which reform is most associated with Montesquieu's influence on the United States Constitution?

• A. A centralized legislature with unchecked power.
• B. A system of checks and balances among separate branches.
• C. A strong executive with no legislative oversight.
• D. A direct democracy with no representatives.

Answer: (B)

Montesquieu argued that concentrating government power in one place leads to tyranny, so power should be divided into separate branches that can check each other. This idea is baked into the United States Constitution as a system of checks and balances among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The arrangement ensures that no single branch can push through its will unchecked: Congress makes laws, the President can veto them (and Congress can override with sufficient support), and appointments and treaties require Senate consent; federal judges serve lifetime terms to insulate them from political pressure and to provide independent interpretation of the laws. Together, these features create mutual oversight and restraint, making it harder for any one part of the government to accumulate excessive power. The other scenarios describe centralized power, unchecked executive control, or rule by ordinary voters without representatives, all of which diverge from this balance-promoting framework.