The separation of powers is a model in which the state is divided into branches, each with separate and independent powers and areas of responsibility so that the powers of one branch are not in conflict with the powers associated with the other branches. The typical division is into three branches: a legislature, an executive, and a judiciary. Montesquieu, a French political philosopher, first conceptualised and described the various forms of distribution of political power among a legislature, an executive, and a judiciary.