Government!!

Under modern political theory, government is understood as having three main powers: legislative (the power to make laws), executive (the power to implement laws) and judiciary (the power to judge and apply punishment when laws are broken). It is normally assumed -- at least in democracies -- that nomination and election resides with the citizens. But even in a democracy such as in the U.S., the President nominates Supreme Court Justices and the Senate confirms (elects) them. Also in the case of electing the President, the citizens do not elect the President -- they elect "electors" who elect the President. And in Parliametary forms of democracy, Parliament nominates and elects the Prime Minister. Clearly, the powers to nominate and elect must be included as distinct powers.

Under traditional forms of government that ruled most of the world until a few centuries ago, such as monarchy and oligarchy, these powers were concentrated in the hands of one person or a small group of people. One of the innovations of modern democracy is the separation of powers into three distinct branches of government that operate independently while acting as checks and balances for each other. This separation is supposed to prevent any one individual or small group from acquiring too much power for themselves and becoming despotic