- Argued for a separation of powers to prevent the concentration of power in any one branch of government—especially the executive branch—and to safeguard individual liberties.
Montesquieu:
- Expanded on Locke's ideas and proposed a tripartite division of government into executive, legislative, and judicial branches, each with distinct powers and functions to prevent tyranny and protect individual rights.
James Madison:
- Applied Locke and Montesquieu's ideas to the design of the United States government in The Federalist Papers.
- Argued that a separation of powers, along with checks and balances, was essential for a stable and free government and contributed to the development of the system of checks and balances among the three branches of the US federal government.