can veto congressional legislation, but Congress can
impeach and remove the president); to ensure further
limits on POWER. Terms and elections are staggered for
various officials (executive, senators, representative),
and the independence of the judiciary is guaranteed by
life-tenure appointments, also distributing power to
prevent tyranny or “one person rule.”
Besides the United States, most other Modern,
industrial republics in the world have instituted sepa-
ration of powers in their governments. German feder-
alism, French and Australian republics, and most of
the newly formed Eastern European states establish
separation of powers.
The benefit of this limitation of STAT Epower is obvi-
ous in securing FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY, and individual
RIGHTS. Where Modern states have abolished such limi-
tations on state or leader power (as in NAZIGermany
or the SOVIET UNION), TYRANNY and oppression have
usually resulted.
Given the proud, weak, and sinful nature of human
beings (as St. AUGUSTINE argued), putting limits on
their political power seems to be the wisest approach.
As Lord ACTONsaid, “power corrupts [people], and
absolute power corrupts absolutely,” so it is best to
place formal limits on anyone’s power in government.
The separation of powers seeks to do that through for-
mal, institutional, and constitutional means.
settlement-house movement
A social movement in Great Britain and the United
States begun during the late 1800s involving middle-
class CHRISTIANSliving among the poor in large cities.
The most famous settlement house in America was
Hull House in Chicago, led by Jane Addams. These
houses, founded primarily by Protestant Christian
women, provided a variety of services to the urban
poor, including vocational counselors, social workers,
teachers, kindergartens, youth clubs, and home-eco-
nomics classes. As part of the SOCIAL GOSPEL MOVEMENT,
the workers in these houses also pursued PROGRESSIVE
social legislation (against child labor; for union organi-
zations, prohibition, public housing, unemployment
compensation, and women’s suffrage).
Begun in England by an Anglican clergyman, the
intention of the settlement-house movement was to
have young, middle-class Christians live among (or
“settle” with) the impoverished city residents of East
London. Rev. Samuel Barnett established Toynbee Hall
in 1884, encouraging Anglican university students to
live there and serve the poor, as Christ did. Soon, U.S.
reformers visited this center in London and trans-
ported the idea to New York City. By 1910, more than
400 such houses existed in the United States, and 46
in Britain. Usually led by single women from prosper-
ous families, these settlement houses helped the poor
INDUSTRIALworking class of the early 20th century. As
social-welfare legislation and programs expanded in
the United States and Britain, many of the functions of
the settlement houses were taken over by the govern-
ment.Sheldon, Charles M. (1857–1946) U.S. reli-
gious and political reformer; writer
As a representative of the SOCIAL GOSPEL MOVEMENT,
Sheldon championed the application of CHRISTIAN
principles to social problems. He fought for racial
EQUALITY, social-welfare legislation, PROHIBITION, and
ecumenicism. From a traditional Protestant faith
(John CALVIN) reflecting his PURITANancestry, Sheldon
identified contemporary social injustice (poverty, al-
coholism, family violence, EXPLOITATION) with human
sin (greed, lust, selfishness) that required confession,
repentance, and redemption through Christ. Once
the person is cleansed and renewed through faith in
Jesus Christ, that spiritual “rebirth” should be mani-
fest in good works in society: helping the poor, the
sick, and the downtrodden; Sheldon says that is a
concern for “the least among us” as a natural effect
of EVANGELICAL regeneration, after Jesus’ words in
Matthew 25:34–45. He criticized Christians who were
complacent and self-concerned, especially wealthy
and middle-class churchgoers who did not care for
the poor.
Sheldon, a Congregational minister who was edu-
cated at Phillips Academy, Brown University, and
Andover Seminary, became world famous with the
publication of his Christian novel, In His Steps(1896).
For several decades the best-selling book after the
Bible, In His Stepsdetailed the experiences of a group
of Christians who decided to live by asking “What
would Jesus do?” whenever making a decision. Pre-
senting a RADICALChristian discipleship in business,
government, LAW, the media, and education, this
theme electrified the world. An estimated 30 million
copies of this book were sold in 20 different lan-
guages. It sparked religious revivals in the UnitedSheldon, Charles M. 275