What aspect of government structure was influenced by Montesquieu during the Constitutional Convention?

The correct answer is checks and balances. Montesquieu, a prominent Enlightenment philosopher, greatly influenced the framers of the Constitution with his ideas about the separation of powers within government. He argued that for a government to remain fair and just, power must be divided among different branches, and each branch should have the ability to limit the powers of the others. This concept is embodied in the system of checks and balances established in the U.S. Constitution, which ensures that no single branch—executive, legislative, or judicial—becomes too powerful.

Federalism, while an important aspect of the U.S. government, primarily refers to the division of power between the national and state governments, which is not directly tied to Montesquieu's ideas. Similarly, direct democracy focuses on the role of citizens in decision-making rather than the structural separation of governmental powers, and judicial review pertains to the ability of courts to invalidate laws or executive actions that are unconstitutional, which is a separate principle from what Montesquieu discussed. Thus, checks and balances accurately reflects Montesquieu's influence on the structure of the government as set forth in the Constitution.