Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances, Essay Example

Our founding fathers aimed for the separation of powers because it would prevent the concentration of power in the hands of a single individual or an entity. Separation of Powers is the political doctrine that defines the concentration of power in the U.S. The U.S. government has three main branches that are distinct from each other. They are the Judiciary, Legislative, and the President. This form of government is to ensure democratic spirit in the government.

These three distinct branches of the government also ensure the system of checks and balances to prevent too much power getting in the hands of any single government branch. The Legislative branch which is the U.S. Congress has the power to write and enact laws, set budget, and ratify treaties among other things. The President is the head of the state and enjoys powers such as issuing executive orders, appointing judges and the authority to veto laws. The Judiciary branch which is the Supreme Court ensures that the laws enacted by the Congress do not violate the spirit of the constitution. The Judiciary is also responsible for interpreting the constitution when differences arise (The Dirksen Congressional Center 2008).

Thus, each branch has the ability to influence the decisions made by any other branch. The judiciary can intervene if it believes Congress violated the spirit of the constitution or if executive decisions may be unconstitutional. Similarly, legislative branch can override presidential veto with two-third majority and also has the power to remove president through impeachment. President has the veto power over the bills passed by the legislative branch and can also recommend legislation (Kelly n.d.).

References

Kelly, Martin. Checks and Balances. http://americanhistory.about.com/od/usconstitution/a/checks_balances.htm (accessed March 27, 2012).

The Dirksen Congressional Center. The Three Branches of Government. 2008. http://www.congressforkids.net/Constitution_threebranches.htm (accessed March 27, 2012).