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separation of powers

Also known as branches of government, check and balance

division of government into branches such that legislative, executive, and judicial functions are exercised by distinct, separately constituted political bodies

AI overview

Separation of powers is a system that divides government into distinct branches—typically legislative, executive, and judicial—each with its own separate responsibilities. This arrangement matters because it prevents any single branch from becoming too powerful and provides checks and balances to protect against abuse of authority.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Subclass of: government structure
Image: Separation of powers (EN).png

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topic's main category: Category:Separation of powers
topic has template: Template:Separation of powers
facet of: risk management
opposite of: fusion of powers
on focus list of Wikimedia project: Wikipedia:Vital articles/Level/4
Commons category: Separation of powers

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Encyclopedic overview

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The separation of powers principle functionally differentiates several types of state power (usually legislation, adjudication, and execution) and requires these operations of government to be conceptually and institutionally distinct and clearly articulated, thereby maintaining the integrity of each branch. Separation of powers is intended to prevent power centralization, democratic backsliding and tyrannical government. Separation of powers is closely linked to notions of checks and balances.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “separation of powers” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

separation of powers

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