Part One: History and Development
The core of the checks and balances in American political system is the separation of the three powers. The actual separation of powers amongst different branches of government can be traced to ancient Greece. Aristotle, one of the best known thinkers, divided the state constitution into deliberation, executive management and trial three organs in his book political science. It is the prototype of the theory of separation of the three powers. The dividing power theory of capitalism was firstly come up with by Locker. After him, Montesquieu, a France renowned enlightened thinker at the 18th century, first systematically elaborated the legislation, the administration, the judicial separation of powers and three power keeping in balance mutually capitalism constitutional government principle, taking the English constitutional monarchy system as the prototype, on the basis of the dividing power theory of Locker.
Finally, the Americans put the theory into action. The fathers of America applied the idea to The Constitution of the United States of America, advocating that the three branches of legislation, execution and judiciary are distinct and have checks and balances on each other. In this way, no one branch can gain absolute power or abuse the power they are given. Until now, the Americans are still following that constitution.
Part Two: Main Content
1. The Separation of the Three Powers
As mentioned above, the separation of the three powers is considered the basic of the system of checks and balances. Here are a few examples:
If Congress proposes a law that the president thinks is unwise, the president can veto it. That means the proposal does not become law.
If Congress passes a law which is then challenged in the courts as unconstitutional, the Supreme Court has the power to declare the law unconstitutional and therefore no longer in effect.
The president