Why did the states place so much power in hands of the popularly elected legislatures?

They viewed powerful executives as enemies of liberty.

States viewed powerful executives as having the potential to become tyrannical. As a result, almost all of the state constitutions written in the late 1770s placed most of the power in the legislatures

can someone me with this question:  

1) the end of the conflict between the north and the south didn’t just mark the end of a war; it marked the end of an entire way of life.” which statement best describes what this statement means?  

a) the southerners were no longer free and were controlled by the northern states.

b) the industrial economy in the north was not sustainable.

c) slavery became illegal, which changed completely the south’s labor force and the agricultural economy was destroyed.

d) the states decided to relinquish their independence and return to britain’s rule.