http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/checks-and-balances Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Thu, 04 Jun 2026 20:31:05 -0400 Thu, 04 Jun 2026 20:31:05 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1020/avoiding-the-tyranny-of-democracy-the-republican-ideal-of-a-mixed-constitution By Jessica C. Bridges - The assertion that unconstrained power brings with it inevitable corruption has occupied theorists since the first considerations of authority. That the nature of man in unconstrained assemblage will lead to a “tyrannical abuse of power” is a central assumption in the construction of political structure in the res publica (Chomsky 2007: 314). Arguments of how to best maintain and preserve order in this creed have consequently been tied to ideas of “freedom as non-domination” (Skinner 1990: 127). Stemming most notably from the works of Aristotle, later popularized by Polybius... Thu, 02 Apr 2015 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1020/avoiding-the-tyranny-of-democracy-the-republican-ideal-of-a-mixed-constitution http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/698/limiting-values-of-democracy-and-competing-views-on-materialism-in-american-society-comparing-kirk-and-nedelsky By Brian D. Blankenship - Limits lie at the heart of the American political system. No governmental body or figure has unlimited authority—all are checked by the others. However, beyond this, political thinkers are divided over how best to mitigate majoritarian influence in American society—to constrain the power of “the people” from encroaching on the rights of individuals. Two such scholars, Jennifer Nedelsky and Russell Kirk, agree that laws and institutions by themselves are insufficient to check the power of America’s democracy, and that American society needs (and has) “limiting... Tue, 18 Sep 2012 10:03 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/698/limiting-values-of-democracy-and-competing-views-on-materialism-in-american-society-comparing-kirk-and-nedelsky http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/596/preserving-the-role-of-the-french-constitutional-council-as-a-check-on-executive-power By Oliver Rieche - The Constitutional Council was established when the Fifth Republic was born in 1958 (Cole 1998, p. 63). Initially designed as a tool to protect the executive against parliament, the Council evolved into a powerful force against the government (Elgie and Griggs 2000, p. 27). It ensures that elections are conducted fairly and that bills conform to the constitution (Slater 1985, p. 180). This essay argues that the most important role of the Constitutional Council today is to serve as a check on executive power in order to protect the rights of citizens. To understand this, we need to contrast its... Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:33 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/596/preserving-the-role-of-the-french-constitutional-council-as-a-check-on-executive-power