". . . it is the opinion of this committee that a national government ought to be established consisting of a Supreme Legislature, Judiciary, and Executive. . . ."

                                              -- Resolution submitted by Edmund Randolph,                                                                     the Constitutional Convention, 1787

In adopting this resolution, the framers of the Constitution showed their belief in the idea of

A. judicial review

B. elastic clause

C. state's rights

D. separation of powers

D. separation of powers

The federal government created by the Constitutional Convention has three separate branches, the legislative, the judicial, and the executive.