Correct answer: Limit the ability of any branch of the national government from becoming too powerful.
The founding fathers of the United States got their idea of checks and balances from the Enlightenment philosophy of the Baron de Montesquieu, who wrote about the separation of powers and balance of power within a government structure.
In his book, The Spirit of the Laws (1748), Montesquieu outlined how different forms of government work in different situations. He looked at how despotic governments function on the basis of fear of the ruler. Systems built around monarchy and aristocracy function on the basis of the principle of honor, as persons of rank strive for higher honor and position. In republics, Montesquieu identified "love of virtue" as the key principle -- where individuals are willing to put the interests of the whole society ahead of their own individual interests.
Within his treatment of how governments will function best, Montesquieu argued that executive, legislative, and judicial functions of government ought to be divided between parts of the government, so that no one person or division of the government can infringe on the overall rights of others in the government or of the members of the society overall.
