For Montesquieu, despotism was one of the worst threats for a government. He pointed separation of powers as the best way to prevent it, in which legislative, executive and judicial power was excercised by different bodies of government, and these bodies were ruled by supreme law.
The system of checks and balances is very important for the U.S. government, since it was developed to assure that neither of the government's branches would empower too much. The writers of the U.S. Constitution developed a system that divides power between legislative, executive and judicial, and incorporates several limits and controls on the powers of every branch.
The main reason why the money issued by the continental congress of little value was because it wasn't "backed" by anything real such as gold. Plus, this government had practically no credit.
The GDR stated it was constructed as an "antifascist protection mechanism" in order to keep out external threats and keep the east Berliners safe in their "Socialist Paradise" but in reality it was to keep people in since many were trying to emigrate out of the communist zone and the GDR would fall because of emigration.
The Protestant reformation would be considered a success because it forced the Catholic church to change their ways. The Catholic church was corrupt and lied to the people.<span />
