separation of powers

(noun)

A theoretical model for governance, common in democratic states, which features the division of sovereign power into at least three (but sometimes up to six) organs of state in order to forestall tyranny, by preventing the acquisition of a monopoly of power by a monarch or oligarchy; also, such an arrangement.

Related Terms

  • tyranny of the majority
  • representative democracy

Examples of separation of powers in the following topics:

  • Democracy

    • Democracy is a form of government in which the power of government comes from the people.
    • Even though there is no universally accepted definition of democracy, all definitions include two fundamental principles: First, in a democracy, all citizens have equal access to power.
    • Many also institute measures such as the separation of powers, which divides executive, judicial, and legislative authority among different branches of government to protect against the possibility that a single government or branch of government could accumulate too much power and become harmful to democracy itself.
    • Green, yellow, and blue are presidential republics with less (green) or more (blue) presidential power.
    • Red are parliamentary constitutional monarchies in which the monarch does not personally exercise power.
  • Types of Governments

    • In addition to there existing various legitimate means of holding power, there are a variety of forms of government.
    • A monarchy is a form of government in which supreme power is absolutely or nominally lodged with an individual, who is the head of state, often for life or until abdication.
    • However, if any democracy is not carefully legislated to avoid an uneven distribution of political power with balances, such as the separation of powers, then a branch of the system of rule could accumulate power and become harmful to the democracy itself.
    • An oligarchy is a form of government in which power effectively rests with a small elite segment of society distinguished by royalty, wealth, family, military or religious hegemony.
    • Such states are often controlled by politically powerful families whose children are heavily conditioned and mentored to be heirs of the power of the oligarchy.
  • Types of States

    • States come in a variety of forms that vary based on who holds power, how positions of leadership are obtained, and how authority is maintained.
    • A monarchy is a form of government in which supreme power is absolutely or nominally lodged with an individual, who is the head of state, often for life or until abdication.
    • An oligarchy is a form of government in which power effectively rests with a small elite segment of society distinguished by royalty, wealth, family, military, or religious hegemony.
    • The two principles of a democracy are that all citizens have equal access to power and that all citizens enjoy universally recognized freedoms and liberties.
    • However, if any democracy is not carefully legislated with balances, such as the separation of powers, to avoid an uneven distribution of political power, then a branch of the system of rule could accumulate power and become harmful to the democracy itself.
  • Weber's View of Stratification

    • Max Weber formed a three-component theory of stratification in which social difference is determined by class, status, and power.
    • Weber examined how many members of the aristocracy lacked economic wealth, yet had strong political power.
    • Weber introduced three independent factors that form his theory of stratification hierarchy: class, status, and power.
    • He treated these as separate but related sources of power, each with different effects on social action.
    • Power refers to a person's ability to get their way despite the resistance of others.
  • Dictatorship and Totalitarianism

    • Dictatorships govern without consent of the people and in totalitarian dictatorships the power to govern extends to all aspects of life.
    • Dictatorship and totalitarianism are often associated, but they are actually two separate phenomena.
    • Dictatorship is a form of government in which the ruler has the power to govern without consent of those being governed.
    • Totalitarian regimes stay in political power through all-encompassing propaganda campaigns (disseminated through the state-controlled mass media), a single party that is often marked by political repression, personality cultism, control over the economy, regulation and restriction of speech, mass surveillance, and widespread use of terror.
    • In other words, dictatorship concerns the source of the governing power (where the power comes from—the people or a single leader) and totalitarianism concerns the scope of the governing power (what is the government and how extensive is its power).
  • Social Class

    • "We are the 99%" became the protestors' rallying cry, drawing attention to how small of a percentage of the population (1%) controls so much of the financial and political power in America.
    • However, the socioeconomic classification is a stand-in for the amount of power possessed by an individual.
    • For Weber, power refers to an individual's ability to impose his will on others, regardless of their wishes.
    • Social class is commonly organized into a three-class model, by which individuals are separated into upper, middle, and lower classes.
    • The upper class consists of the wealthy and powerful individuals who own and control the means of production.
  • Power

    • Often, the study of power in a society is referred to as "politics. "
    • The use of power need not involve coercion (force or the threat of force).
    • Because power operates both relationally and reciprocally, sociologists speak of the balance of power between parties to a relationship.
    • Sociologists usually analyze relationships in which the parties have relatively equal or nearly equal power in terms of constraint rather than of power.
    • Compare the positives and negatives associated with the use of power and how power operates in society
  • Religion in the U.S.

    • The separation of the church and state has allowed the private practice of diverse religions.
    • The First Amendment specifically denies the Federal Government the power to enact any law respecting either an establishment of religion or prohibiting its free exercise.
    • The decision was mainly influenced by European Rationalist and Protestant ideals, but was also a consequence of the pragmatic concerns of minority religious groups and small states that did not want to be under the power or influence of a national religion that did not represent their beliefs.
    • Kennedy: "Considering the separation of church and state, how is a president justified in using the word 'God' at all?
    • The answer is that the separation of church and state has not denied the political realm a religious dimension. "
  • Functions of the State

    • Various schools of thought consider the state to be either a neutral entity separated from society or an immoral partisan instrument.
    • Such states differ from sovereign states, in that they have transferred a portion of their sovereign powers to a federal government .
    • Marxist theory, on the other hand, sees politics as intimately intermingled with economic relations, and emphasizes the relationship between economic power and political power.
    • Anarchists believe that the state apparatus should be completely dismantled and an alternative set of social relations created, which would be unrelated to state power.
    • Pluralists view society as a collection of individuals and groups competing for political power.
  • Power

    • Employer-employee relationships offer an example of power relations.
    • Power can be seen as evil or unjust, but the exercise of power is accepted as endemic to humans as social beings.
    • The use of power need not involve coercion, force or the threat of force.
    • Sociologists usually analyze relationships in which parties have relatively equal or nearly equal power in terms of constraint rather than of power.
    • Thus power has a connotation of unilateralism.
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