Question

Why should all the powers of the government not be in the hands of one person?

Hint:

The source gives the reason in its last few lines. Look for the principle about who is the source of political power and for the conclusion about distributing power widely.

Answer 1

Concept:

• The answer can be reached by asking what would go wrong if one person held every power, which is the practical side of the same argument.
• The source itself supplies the reasoning in its closing lines.

Step 1: Consider who would be left out.
A society contains many different groups and views. If one person decided everything, only that one view would count, and the diverse groups mentioned in the source would have no say at all.

Step 2: Consider what democracy claims.
Democracy rests on the principle that people are the source of all political power and that they rule themselves through institutions of self-government. A single ruler holding all power would contradict both.

Step 3: Consider the conclusion the source draws.
Because everyone must have a voice in shaping public policies, the source concludes that political power should be distributed among as many citizens as possible.

Final Answer: Concentrating all power in one person would deny the diverse groups in society any voice and would contradict the democratic principle that people themselves are the source of political power, which is why power must be spread among as many citizens as possible.