The mixed government- like that of the Founders: an executive of kingly nature, a Senate and Judiciary of oligarchal nature, and a House of democratic nature- was a new idea, advocated by that modern upstart Polybius Chapter One of Polybius and the Founding Fathers . Dividing the neccessary powers between separate parts to keep one from attaining all and turning tyrannical.
I hope some here enjoy the thought-provoking comments Herodotus alleged to these men.
A thought this 'provoked' in me is that the Great Compromise was especially fortuitous, resulting in setting one oligarchy (the Senate) to watch another (the Judiciary). Perhaps it's just coincidence that the judicial Branch has grown so "representative" since the Sixteenth Amendment, but it makes sense, structurally, that it would tend to do so to please it's new democratic supervisors.
Guess I've reached the age I'd best "trust but verify" my memory.
The mixed government we currently have - (un)like that of the Founders: an executive of kingly nature that will gladly give his entire kingdom to his southern neighbors, a Senate of ego driven self styled monarchs who desire fame and attention but also to remain unaccountable for their decisions or legislation, a Judiciary of colluding ideological tyrants who actually feel that they are capable of "judging" the masses, and a House of democratic nature which also excludes themselves from the legislation they write.
All of those branches above are supposed to be the 'public SERVANTS' not 'public RULERS'. Once "We the People" remember that little fact, and force these miscreants to remember it as well, life will get better. Until we are willing to play our part in this play, we get what we deserve.
Love to bump Herodotus!
So good.
When I in my comment on the other thread said 'mixed', I was not talking of 'mixed' in that context. THAT above is a good mix, but I was referring to 'those who think we are capitalist ... well ... we aren't really.'
As for 'nothing new under the sun' ... agreed entirely there. Men are men and though the good and bad things go by different names over the years and centuries ... the virtues are still the same as are the sins ... both out of the individual and out groups of men (and mobs of men.)
Appreciated reading it, had not looked at the 3 branches that way before.
I say, then, that all these six forms of government are pernicious—the three good kinds, from their brief duration the three bad, from their inherent badness. Wise legislators therefore, knowing these defects, and avoiding each of these forms in its simplicity, have made choice of a form which shares in the qualities of all the first three, and which they judge to be more stable and lasting than any of these separately. For where we have a monarchy, an aristocracy, and a democracy existing together in the same city, each of the three serves as a check upon the other.