Checks Quote by Baron de Montesquieu
“Power should be a check on power.”
About This Quote
Source Treatise: The Spirit of the Laws, 1748
Power must be limited by other powers to prevent abuse and protect liberty.
In simple terms: Power checks power.
Key Takeaway
Create institutional balances.
Themes
politics
law
freedom
balance
Mood
critical
inquisitive
Type
political
theoretical
When to use this quote
- government design
- corporate governance
- civil rights
Key Concepts
separation of powers
checks and balances
Questions to Reflect On
- How effective are modern checks?
- What safeguards prevent loopholes?
A Different Perspective
Concentrated power can still dominate despite checks.
![“When the fountains of government [borrowing] abundance began to dry up, when through lack of funds and the impossibility of negotiating fresh loans the state was forced to check the extension of bureaucracy and to put a stop to public works, then and then only did the Italians realize what it…” quote by John T. Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/908/john-t-flynn-18493_abundance_when-the-fountains-of-government-borrowi_2663.jpg)
