Which work advocates separation of powers and mixed government?

• A. Federalist 39
• B. John Adams - Thoughts on Government
• C. Federalist 51
• D. Brutus 3

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is a government that balances power by combining different forms of authority and dividing it among separate branches. John Adams’s Thoughts on Government is the work that lays out this approach as a “mixed” government: it blends elements of monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy within a single republic. Adams argues for a distinct executive (a governor), an upper chamber to represent the aristocratic element, and a popular lower house to express the will of the people. This structure enshrines separation of powers—so no one part can dominate—while using the mix of different social orders to stabilize liberty and prevent tyranny.

Other writings discuss power division in various ways, but they don’t articulate this specific mix of branches tied to multiple orders as clearly. Federalist 39 and Federalist 51 focus more on checks and balances within a republican framework, and Brutus 3 critiques centralized power, rather than presenting the explicit mixed-government model Adams champions.