The Social Contract Lesson Plan

Does Rousseau’s theory of government include a system of checks and balances like Montesquieu’s or Jefferson’s?

In this section, Rousseau shows some awareness of the need for a separation of powers. However, students will note that Rousseau does not devote any attention whatsoever to a third branch of government, unlike Montesquieu or Jefferson. In Locke’s case, this third branch of government consisted of a "federative" branch dedicated to foreign policy; in contrast, in Montesquieu’s case, the third branch was the judicial branch. Thus, although in Rousseau’s proposed system there are some built-in checks and balances, these are not as extensive as those proposed by...