An early and influential philosophe, Baron de Montesquieu, believed that the natural world, especially the actions of men, was made up of laws. He also believed that if he studied the various governments and interactions of men with authority, he could discover these laws. According to Montesquieu, three types of government existed: monarchies, republics and dictatorships.
Montesquieu sharply criticized both monarchies and dictatorships - when all the powers of government were concentrated into the hands of one man, it was far too easy for that man to abuse that power, resulting in a tyrannical government. Instead, Montesquieu believed that the republic, especially democratic republics, where all leaders were elected by their peers, was the best possible form of government.
He concluded that the ideal government separated powers among executive, legislative, and judicial branches. This system of divided authority would protect the rights of individuals by preventing one branch of government from gaining unrestricted control over the entire society.
