Checks And Balances: The Three Branches Of Government

Checks and balances is essentially the three branches of government checking on the others and preventing them from overstepping their boundaries. There are many examples of checks and balances and many reasons why it is important. The three branches of government all have their own powers and restrictions, and checks and balances enforces these restrictions and ensures that each branch does what it’s supposed to do. Without it, our government would probably be more like an anarchy, as our constitutional democracy could break down.
The first branch is the legislative branch. The main goal of this branch is to make and change laws. This branch has the power to declare war, the power to create and maintain a military, the power to borrow and
spend money, the power to collect taxes, and the power to regulate commerce, be it interstate commerce or foreign trade. It also has some powers under the Elastic Clause. These powers include the power to propose amendments and the power to choose the president if the Electoral College does not come up with a victor. The restrictions of this branch include not being able to make an ex post facto Law, which makes an act illegal after it’s been committed, and not being able to make a Bill of Attainder, which singles out an individual or group and punishes them without trial. The legislative branch checks on the executive branch by approving or rejecting presidential nominations for government officials. They also decide if the president should get money if he asks for it. They can also override a veto on a bill. Congress can also impeach judges and remove them from office.
The second branch is the executive branch.
The president has many powers, such as carrying out laws, appointing cabinet members and Supreme Court justices, being the head of the nation’s armed forces, making executive orders, and pardoning people. The president deals with foreign policy as well. He creates treaties, appoints ambassadors, asks for money for military, and can place trade embargos on countries. He can also use the military for 60 days without congress approving it. The president, however, can be impeached if he violates the constitution. The president checks on the legislative branch by vetoing bills. The third branch is the judicial branch. This branch includes all courts, be it state courts or federal courts such as the Supreme Court. This branch has the power to declare laws unconstitutional. They also deal with interpreting the law. The judicial branch checks on the other branches by declaring laws made by the legislative branch unconstitutional, and by declaring actions of the executive branch unconstitutional. Checks and balances is a very important thing. Without it, our government would most likely collapse. The three branches of government, the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, are all important to the functioning of the government. They each have their own powers, including checks and balances for the other branches. Each branch keeps the others in
check.