Dividing power is only the first step in preventing its misuse.

A constitutional democracy also requires mechanisms to ensure that power, once divided, remains within its proper limits.

These mechanisms are known as checks and balances.

In constitutional democracies, public authority is not concentrated in a single institution. Instead, the functions of government are distributed among different branches, each with its own responsibilities.

This principle is known as the separation of powers, and it exists to ensure that no one institution exercises unchecked authority.