The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one, and thus to create whatever the form of government, a real despotism.

The quote warns that when the powers of the different departments of government are gathered into one, the result is despotism. Having a single ruler represents that concentration of power, unlike separation of powers, which keeps authority divided. So the best answer is having a single ruler.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.