Differing from his predecessors' classical divisions of monarchy,
aristocracy, and democracy, Montesquieu stated that there are two types of government which exists: the
sovereign and the administrative. He opined that the administrative powers were
divided into the executive, the judicial and the legislative, and that these
powers must <span>be separate from one another and dependent upon one
another. This idea is what has come to be known in modern times as <span>separation
of powers.</span></span>
In the late 1800s, most Americans accepted laissez faire economics in theory. In practice, however, many supported government involvement when it benefited them.