Which "person" below best exhibits the ideals of a "pragmatic conservationist"?
A. the businessman who believes that natural resources are not useful unless they
are harvested and utilized to create something new or power the modern world
B. the naturalist who believes it is a kind of "sin" to impede on nature's processes
by damming up a river, forever altering ecosystems downstream, for example
C. a conservative leader who holds tightly to traditional religious principles, but
who recognizes that the world is changing around him and he must make room
for new ways of thinking about societal issues
D. a naturalist who recognizes that the modern world, with its cities, industries,
and technology, requires a lot of natural resources to sustain, and the best idea
is to protect and manage the nation's resources for the benefit of the most
people in the society

separation of powers, therefore, refers to the division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising the core functions of another.   the intent is to prevent the concentration of power and provide for checks and balances.  

the traditional characterizations of the powers of the branches of american government are:

* the legislative branch is responsible for enacting the laws of the state and appropriating the money necessary to operate the government.

* the executive branch is responsible for implementing and administering the public policy enacted and funded by the legislative branch.

* the judicial branch is responsible for interpreting the constitution and laws and applying their interpretations to controversies brought before it.

forty state constitutions specify that government be divided into three branches:   legislative, executive and judicial.   california illustrates this approach; "the powers of state government are legislative, executive, and judicial.   persons charged with the exercise of one power may not exercise either of the others except as permitted by this constitution."

while separation of powers is key to the workings of american government, no democratic system exists with an absolute separation of powers or an absolute lack of separation of powers. governmental powers and responsibilities intentionally overlap; they are too complex and interrelated to be neatly compartmentalized. as a result, there is an inherent measure of competition and conflict

minnesota:   minnesota house research,   separation of powers: when statutes and court rules conflict, 2005