Locke defined political power as “the right of making laws with penalties of death, and all less penalties, for the regulating and preserving of property, and of employing the force of the community in the execution of such laws, and in the defense of the commonwealth from foreign injury, and all thi

Also in the same realm of mixed government, Locke promoted the idea of separation of powers. Mainly, Locke contrasted on the separation of the legislative and executive powers. The legislative power consists of the “right to direct how the force of the common-wealth shall be employed for preserving the community and the members of it (p.75).” In terms of the executive powers, Locke thought it was necessary that a power should always be “in being, which should see to the execution of the laws that are made, and remain in force (p.76).” Since the two main powers of government were in different hands, Parliament exercising the legislative function and the Crown the executive one, there was indeed a partial separation of powers. As Gordon said, “Locke advocated a separation of legislative from executive powers as a structural device to prevent government from becoming arbitrary and tyrannical (p.15).” Locke reemphasized his belief in separation of powers by making sure that the executive power was “placed any where but in a person that also a share in the legislative” power (p.79). Finally, Locke recognized the real danger of leaving absolute power to any one individual, or group of individuals. Thus, Locke thought that government’s power was best limited by dividing government up into branches, with each branch having only as much power as is needed for its proper function. In effect, the notion of separation of

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