Montesquieu’s Folding Screen

Origin
Referred to as Montesquieu by the general public, he dreamed up some of the most impactful social ideas of the Age of Enlightenment. Although of noble birthright and a lawyer by practice, Montesquieu supported fairer governments such as the burgeoning movement for independence in the British colonies. In his treatise Spirit of the Laws, Montesquieu classified the types of widely prevalent government: monarchies underneath a head figure of lineage, republics ruled by elected officials and despotisms controlled through an unyielding dictator. Although republics were fragile in power structure, the societies were more justly managed as compared to eroding monarchies.

To prevent failure of power distribution, Montesquieu advocated a multi-branched government, where each entity had separate powers and jurisdictions placed on them. No branch was disproportionately superior because the remaining branches held limitations over each other, allowing for a separation of powers. Creating specific branches became a major foundation for many future national Constitutions, including the United States.

Effects
Can rend apart any sole entity into smaller but equally powerful components, each representing a certain aspect. Only the name or visual depiction needs to be affixed to one pane, and folding out the rest will reveal the new power structure. Each separate aspect will be clearly labeled, explaining all the major differences and influence they possess. Changes take several days to fully solidify; folding the screen in reverse or puncturing the sheets will neutralize the effect.