Checks And Balances

This branch, however, does not have all the power. There is a system put into place by the founding fathers called checks and balances. This system was though up with one goal in mind, to allow near equal flow of power

To prevent from one branch of government having all power, and therefore having tyranny, (Madison FP # 47) Checks and Balances was added to the defenses of the constitution. There are three branches of government: Legislative Branch (Congress), Executive Branch (President), and Judicial Branch (The Courts). These three branches work together to check one another to make sure the power is evenly distributed and balanced, hence the name Checks and Balances. The way it works is that the Legislative Branch (Congress) can check the Executive Branch (President) by approving Presidential nominations, being able to override a President’s veto, and can impeach the President, him or her, from office. The Legislative Branch can check the Judicial Branch by having Senate confirm Presidential nominations and by being able to impeach judges and remove them from office. The President can check the Legislative Branch by vetoing Congressional legislation, and can check the Judicial Branch by nominating judges. The Judicial Branch can check the Legislative Branch by declaring laws unconstitutional, and can check the Executive Branch by declaring presidential acts unconstitutional. (Madison FP # 51) All three branches of government work together to make sure no branch is abusing their limited power, by using the system Checks and

According to James Madison, “…the constant aim is to divide and arrange the several offices in such a manner as that they may be a check on the other … the three branches should not be so far separated as to have no constitutional control over each other.” (Doc. C). This means that the three branches can check on each other and keep each other balanced and that the powers among each branch is equal. In the constitution it states, “that court can declare laws unconstitutional.” (Doc. C). This is an example of how the judicial branch can check the legislative branch so each branch has a way to check the other branches. The system of check and balances guards against tyranny because without a system of checks and balances, one branch of government may become overpowered and there may be a

Tyranny, a cruel and oppressive government or rule. This could have been our government’s reality as it was slowly drifting towards becoming a tyrannical country. However, only thing that prevented our government from becoming a tyranny was the Constitution. In 1787, the Founding Fathers met and established the Constitution, because the Articles of Confederation wasn’t working out. The Constitution was created and used to prevent tyranny throughout the government by trying many solutions, which worked well.

First, Separation of Powers guarded against tyranny by not putting all the power in one place. For example, In document B James Madison says, “Liberty requires that three great departments of power should be separate and distinct.” On document B James madison also says, “The constant aim is to divide and arrange the several offices.” Those are some of the ways separation powers

Framers of the constitution feared tyranny within the government. To avoid this, checks and balances were put into place. These checks and balances of power ensured that the branches of government did not violate their respective power and that no forms of legislation should go into effect without being checked by all branches. A Just government should have this system because it provides an equal field on which the legislative, executive, and judicial branch can propose, pass, or deny bills. If we as a people are going to give someone else power,then there should be a system in which those people are checked and kept in line, so that our country remains free. Separation of power was also put into place as a way to keep all the branches equal. Each branch was given a

Separation of powers is when the powers split into three branches of government. In document B, James Madison claims that “Liberty requires that the three great departments of power should be separate and distinct.” This means that each branch of government should be different and should be doing their own jobs. For example, all legislative powers shall be “vested” in the US congress. The executive power shall be “vested” in a president of the US.

Tyranny can form in a democracy government. In 1787 state leaders began to write the Constitution. Under the Articles of Confederation, there was no chief executive and no court system. The goal was to create a new Constitution that would prevent tyranny. James Madison worried if we didn't have checks and balances there would be to much power given to one group.

Separation of powers is the split up of government into three branches. This makes it so not one person can get too powerful. James Madison stated " The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many... Liberty requires that the three great departments of power should be separate and distinct"(Document B). He obviously wanted the separation of powers.

After the Constitutional Convention in 1787, the United States Government was reorganized under the Constitution. This gave the federal government far more power than did the Articles of Confederation, which invested power within the states. Basically, the Constitution created three branches of government (Executive, Judicial, and Legislative) which would work together to run the government. To make sure that there was an equal balance of power among the branches, a system of checks and balances was devised so that each branch could limit the power of the others. It is important to note that "the doctrine of separation of powers is not established by any constitutional provision [but] rather it emerges from he framers'

The constitution was established by men who had experienced the dictatorships of Europe and had escaped from its grasp. They sought to establish a form of government that would never allow a dictatorship or tyrant ruler to hold power over the people like in the places they had fled. With their creation of the foundation of what our government is today they created a system where 3 branches were all of equal power and each could be overruled by another which prevented any branch becoming superior of another. The separation of powers provides a system of shared power called Checks and Balances.(2) The three branches are legislative, judicial and executive and they each have specific powers to

Explain the system of checks and balances within the American government and its significance. Be sure to provide examples and discuss alternative views.

The judicial branch can: • Check the judicial review (Legislative and Executive) • Chief Justice= President of Senate, when impeachment is happening (Executive) This shows that all the branches’ jobs also include keeping each other in balance. Checks and Balances is also important, because it helps keeps the people from the government under control, as well. This means that if the people in power try to take our rights away and start forcing to live in fear, the branches will put things in balance again, by taking the person to jail/court.

Last but not least, for the Judicial Branch, they only have checks on the Legislature and Executive. The checks on the Legislature are Judicial review, compensation cannot be diminished, and seats are held on good behavior. But within the Executive, they are also granted the Judicial review, but the Chief Justice sits as President of the Senate during presidential impeachment.

Separation of Powers and checks and balances is extremely important in the American political system; it is taught from basic civics in elementary school all the way through higher education, however, it is often believed that it is rigid and that is it. It is more complicated than only this can be done by the Executive or only this can be done by the Legislative branch; we see overlaps due to the checks and balances that have been instituted by the Constitution. For example, only the Legislative branch may pass legislation but the Executive has the veto option which can then be overruled by a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress. Checks and balances like these maintain a balance between the three branches of the government that allow