The three powers a modern
state has are the
Legislative, the
Executive and the
Judicial. It is commonly held that for a state to remain
democratic, these powers must be separated and there must be [checks and balances]
? to prevent a single group from acquiring control over two or more of them. In
countries with a turbulent
political climate, this often results in a kind of
cold war between the powers instead of the intended stalemate
?.
The press is commonly referred to as the fourth power due to its ability to influence and manipulate the political scene by the threat or exercise of its control of the public opinion.