Checks and Balances Essay - 956 Words

Checks and Balances The doctrine of separation of powers developed over many centuries. This practice doctrine can be traced to the British Parliaments gradual assertion of power and resistance to royal decrees during the 14th century. Political theorist, John Locke wrote about the concept of separation of powers in his Second Treatise of Government (1690). In the United States, the separation of powers is a fundamental constitutional principle. The framers of this Constitution saw the need to divide power within the government to prevent a single group from ruthlessly taking over the country. Articles I through III of the Constitution of the United States place each of the basic powers of government in a separate branch. This†¦show more content†¦The legislative branch, Congress, has the power to make laws valid for the whole country. Powers like the regulation of taxes, regulation of commerce between the states and with foreign countries, the power to declare war, and the power to impeach the President are some of the issues the legislative branch has to deal with. Congress has two chambers (or houses): the Senate and the House of Representatives (the house). Executive power is vested in the office of the President of the United States. The President has the dual role of being the chief of state and the head of government. The President is also commander in chief of the armed forces. He issues executive orders, and appoints Supreme Court justices (with senate approval). The president is also called the chief legislator because he indirectly proposes many bills, considers all bills from Congress and signs them into law or vetoes them. Judicial power is given to the Supreme Court. All nine federal judges are appointed by the President and serve during good behavior, usually meaning for life. The judges cannot be removed from office except for criminal behavior or malfeasance. This makes them less vulnerable to political pressure and outside influence. The main feature of the independent role for the courts lies in their power to interpret the Constitution. They review the constitutionality of laws and executive orders. There areShow MoreRelatedChecks and Balances678 Words   |  3 PagesCivilization. Checks and balances The Constitution separates the power of government into three branches: the legislative power is vested in the Congress, the executive power rests with the President and his bureaucracy and the judicial power is granted to the Supreme Court and other federal courts. Whereas each branch of government has separate and particular powers as listed in the Constitution, each branch is also given the power, duty and ability to control and balance the other(s) in a systemRead MoreChecks and Balances1128 Words   |  5 Pages Checks and Balances. Checks and balances is a system that is a part of out U.S. Constitution. This system was put in to place so that no part of government would have too much power. The three branches: judicial, legislative and executive are constantly granting and checking the other branches actions, this is to make sure no one person can gain an excessive amount of control in government. For example according to , the legislative branch is in charge of making laws. The executive branch canRead MoreThe System Of Checks And Balances859 Words   |  4 PagesKevin nunez Power and Politics midterm essay. DR. Zagorcheva Explain the system of checks and balances within the American government and its significance. Be sure to provide examples and discuss alternative views. The purpose for our Constitution was to implement a new government with three equal branches that balance and check each other. The three branches are formed and is important that the maintain balance in Legislative, executive and Judiciary branches in order for our government to notRead MoreChecks and Balances Essay852 Words   |  4 Pageshave some control over the other branches. The three branches ultimately work together to give us the government we know today. The following will explain the responsibilities and restrictions each branch of government are given, and how they ‘check and balance’ each other. The legislative branch is responsible for making laws and includes Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate has 100 members, two from each state. The house of representatives is made up of 435 membersRead MoreThe System Of Checks And Balances Essay1446 Words   |  6 Pagesflow of power in the system of checks and balances was created to protect the principles of democracy and sovereignty in the United States, But Even though there is a separation of powers, its clear to argue that the executive branch(President) is the most important branch and there are flaws in the system of checks and balances. II Signifigance of the Topic The system of checks and balances is an significant part of the Constitution because With checks and balances, each of the three branches ofRead MoreChecks and Balances Essay1080 Words   |  5 PagesChecks and balances In the United States Constitution, there is a specific system designed to prevent one of the three branches from gaining control or much power. This system is known as Checks and Balances. The system has been put on the effect due to many instances over the course of the year history. The designed system of Checks and Balances is very open yet complex. For example, if the President executive is not fulfilling his responsibilities as a leader or behaving inappropriately, the LegislativeRead MoreChecks And Balances Essay1036 Words   |  5 PagesCreating checks and balances in the United States (US) Government was a goal achieved by dividing power into three governmental branches; legislative branch (Congress), executive branch (Presidency), and a judiciary branch. The power flows from the Judicial Branch to both Congress and Presidency and back again from both branches. The power also flows back and forth between Congress and the Presidency. According to Founder James Madison, they h ad to â€Å"enable the government to control the governed,Read MoreSystem Of Checks And Balances1114 Words   |  5 Pagesby one branch that could ultimately lead to an authoritarian regime. In order to do this, the drafters of the Constitution implemented a system of checks and balances in nearly all aspects of the new republics government. One of these checks and balances was the distribution of foreign policy power between Congress and the President. This balance of power would be an important deterrent to one branch of the government abusing its power which could result in catastrophic decisions such as draggingRead MoreChecks and Balances Essay636 Words   |  3 PagesBen Favorite POL 101 American Government J. M. Pullen 3/15/12 Checks and Balances In late 2011 President Obama sent troops to Libya to aid in the search for Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, and he did so without congressional approval. Under the War Powers Resolution the President has 60 days (in some cases 90 days) to acquire permission from congress for the mission to continue. However when Mr. Obama passed the 60 day deadline without congressional approval, the question was posed, â€Å"Does PresidentRead MoreSeparation of Powers and Checks and Balances654 Words   |  3 PagesThere are both similarities and differences, when referring to checks and balances and separation of powers. Both have to do with the Government. But separation of powers is a model of government in which different parts of the government are in charge of different tasks; in the United States, these parts are known as the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. Checks and balances is a means of trying to ensure that these three parts of government stay equal, and that one does not try to take over