# kaal:claim:3782193-037

**Claim.** The separation of powers works because it makes each branch's power derive from the others, harnessing the natural human competitive impulse to stop any branch from usurping power not enumerated in the Constitution, which is what the checks and balances prevent.

**Type.** mechanism  **Support.** argued

**Holds when.**

- a cyclic three-branch system where each branch depends on the others to act

**Source quote.**

> In the cyclical system, the powers of each branch derive from the others. The natural human competitive impulse is har- nessed to prevent any branch from usurping power not enumerated in the Constitu- tion, the checks and balances to prevent centralization of power.

**From.** Craig Calcaterra, Wulf A. Kaal, *Historical Sketches of Centralization vs. Decentralization* (2021), The U.S. Constitution’s dynamic hybrid solution, page 31

**Cite as.** Craig Calcaterra, Wulf A. Kaal, Historical Sketches of Centralization vs. Decentralization (2021). SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3782193

**Verify.** sha256 of source PDF `74df9cc9a19a098bdacd0424a4174795f6e184f7a31c8ee7541195186701ebd2` at https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wulfkaal/Academic-Papers/main/papers/pdf/Calcaterra%20and%20Kaal%20-%202021%20-%20Historical%20Sketches%20of%20Centralization%20vs.%20Decentralization.pdf

**Topics.** decentralization, governance-design

**Keywords.** separation-of-powers, checks-and-balances, dynamic-design, power-decentralization, constitutional-design

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