Extra: Henry Clark on Montesquieu

For an American, the quick elevator pitch is that, if you value the separation of powers, if you value checks and balances in your government (and those are among the few things that are valued across the political spectrum in a bipartisan and multi-partisan way), then you have partly, maybe largely, Montesquieu to thank for that. He was the one who really devised and developed the ideas of limited government and of separation of powers, checks and balances. And from his working out of that whole problem, the American founders relied extensively on his formulations in the debates that they had over how to design the US Constitution. And, similar debates took place in other countries as well, in England and France during the revolution of 1789. Uh, Montesquieu was a lively presence as well. But I don't know that there is really any place where Montesquieu has been more present at the creation, so to speak, than in the case of the Americans... 

And, of course, it's one of those things, you hear it so often, it does become a cliche, and it seems maybe like a crusty, old-fashioned 18th century cliche, until somebody from the opposite party does something that you intensely don't like. And then, all of a sudden, people rediscover the importance, the enduring importance, as well as the, the enduring fragility, of the separation of powers and checks and balances.. 
these things are not settled achievements, settled accomplishments, that we can just kind of squeeze into our back pocket and forget about them. Every generation has to grapple with their meaning. Every generation has to struggle with a new set of specific issues and specific challenges to the ideals of limited government. And every generation has to rediscover the wisdom of Montesquieu.