The checks and balances system – the evolution of public governance in a historical and theoretical context

The article deals with the main historical periods marking the evolution of the checks and balances system. The separation of powers and the functioning of the checks and balances system in the light of various schools of legal and political thought were emphasized.A periodization approach was proposed for analyzing the ideas and views that had emerged throughout human history. It was emphasized that the basic principles for the establishment of government and dividing the powers between the branches of government had been laid down in the era of Antiquity. The characteristic features of the checks and balances system in modern democracies were described.