Beyond Separation of Powers: The Dual Models of Limited and Streamlined Government

As growing challenges confront the universality of the separation of powers doctrine, this paper aims to provide a complementary perspective for constitutional theory. It suggests existing theories face difficulties resolving deep metatheoretical disagreements and show explanatory limits in cross-civilizational comparisons. Drawing on Eric Voegelin’s philosophy, the paper proposes that good governance is the achievement of a ‘balance of consciousness’. From this principle, it constructs two models: a ‘Limited Government’ that checks ambition after it enters politics, and a ‘Streamlined Government’ that purifies ambition beforehand. The analysis contends that success depends on the ‘fit’ between a model and a nation’s consensus on political ambition. Ultimately, this framework promotes an adaptive approach to constitutional design, fitting institutions to a people’s unique character rather than imposing a single universal model.