Delegation Resource Manual: Month by Month Implementation Guide
Page
50
YMCA PA Youth & Government Program
Charles de Secondat,
Baron de la Brede et de Montesquieu
Charles Louis de Secondat was born in Bordeaux, France, in 1689 to a wealthy family.
Despite his family’s wealth, he was placed in the care of a poor family during his childhood. De
Secondat studied science and history in college, eventually becoming a lawyer in the local
government. After his father’s death, he was placed under the care of his uncle, Baron de
Montesquieu. When his uncle died, de Secondat acquired his title and his fortune.
Montesquieu’s book, On the Spirit of Laws, published in 1748, was his most famous work. It
outlined his ideas on how government would best work. He believed that all things were made up
of rules or laws that never changed. He set out to study these laws scientifically with the hope that
knowledge of the laws of government would reduce the problems of society and improve human
life. According to Montesquieu, there were three types of government: a monarchy (ruled by a king
or queen), a republic (ruled by an elected leader), and a despotism (ruled by a dictator).
Montesquieu believed that a government that was elected by the people was the best form of
government. He argued that the best government would be one in which power was balanced
among three groups of officials-and idea he called “separation of powers”. His ideas became the
basis for the United States Constitution.
