Quotes · Quote card
Quotation from The Spirit of the Laws by Montesquieu
“When the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person, or in the same body of magistrates, there can be no liberty”
The Spirit of the Laws, Book XI, ch. 6, trans. Nugent
From the chapter on the constitution of England, the passage most often cited by American framers.
Citation: "When the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person, or in the same body of magistrates, there can be no liberty" — Montesquieu, The Spirit of the Laws, Book XI, ch. 6, trans. Nugent. (id the-spirit-of-the-laws-q5)
Portrait: Montesquieu, De l'Esprit des loix (1st ed, 1748, vol 1, title page), Smuconlaw., Public domain.
