The Wisdom of Divided Government

The president’s executive overreach threatens it.

House speaker John Boehner recently shocked many of us when he announced that he is planning a lawsuit against the president for abuse of power. Many Americans feel that a harmonious working relationship between the branches of government has been seriously compromised in recent years. But when Alexis de Tocqueville visited America in 1831 to perform an in-depth analysis of the American phenomenon, he was impressed with our well-structured divided government and its separation of powers.

The writings of the founders of this nation certainly referenced the Bible frequently, but they also paid homage to the writings of Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu, who wrote prolifically about political theories. One of his most well-known works is The Spirit of the Laws. In this book, he eloquently argues for the concept of separation of powers.

More