CHECKS AND BALANCES IN THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

PRESENTATION ASSEMBLED BY: MADISON REINHART

OVERVIEW:

Congress has three “branches”:

• Legislative: Produces and passes laws

• Executive: Enforces the laws (includes president and government departments)

• Judicial: National courts.

In order to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful, a system of “checks and balances” is enforced.

THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH

Checking on the Judicial branch:

1. Can adjourn Congress in select situations

2. May veto bills

Checking on the Legislative branch:

• Appointing judges.

JUDICIAL BRANCH

Checking on the Executive Branch:

• Can declare acts of the executive branch unconstitutional

Checking on the Legislative Branch:

• Can declare laws passed to be unconstitutional

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH:

Checking on the Executive branch:

1. Can reject appointed judges

2. Can reject treaties

3. Can withhold funding for certain presidential actions

4. Can impeach the president

5. Can override a veto

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH:

Checking on the Judicial branch:

1. Can make amendments to the constitution to override decisions made by the judicial branch

2. Can impeach Supreme Court justices

SOME THOUGHTS FROM THE CREATOR:

• The legislative branch is a little too powerful (7 commands)

• The judicial(2) and executive(3) branches don’t have enough

power The branches should have a truly equal amount of power

• The ability to override vetoes should only be reserved for select

situations, as the ability to do so is a little unnecessary.

• Before withholding presidential funding, both the judicial and

legislative branches should agree that it’s the best course of

action.

AN EXAMPLE OF CHECKS AND BALANCES IN MODERN TIMES:

In 2007, president Bush vetoed a legislation that would expand upon embryonic stem cell research, citing that there are alternatives forms of stem cell research that do not “destroy” human embryos

STANCE ON THAT VETO:

The veto may have been taking

advantage

of the checks and balances system as

the bill that was vetoed could have been

beneficial to American citizens and the

medical industry by advancing research

if it would have actually been passed.

RESOURCES USED:

• United States History: Beginnings to 1877 (Textbook)

• The Washington Post