The Checks and Balances System
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Date:
Background
Checks and balances is a system put in place by the United States government to make sure that
no one branch of the government gets too much power. There are 3 branches of government that
all have different powers. In general terms:
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The Legislative branch makes the laws
The Executive branch enforces the laws
The Judicial branch interprets the laws
In reality, each branch does much more than that and the writers of the constitution wanted to
make sure that no one branch was able to do something without having that action checked by
another branch. This system of checks and balances helps our government remain a democracy
and prevents it from turning into an authoritarian dictatorship.
The ways in which each branch checks the other varies depending on the power of the branch.
Below is a list of some of the powers each branch has and how they are checked by another
branch.
Power
Proposes and passes federal bills to
become laws
Branch
Check on Powers
President can veto federal bills
stopping them from being law
Can override a President’s veto with a
Supreme Court can declare laws
Legislative
two-thirds vote
unconstitutional
Sets up lower federal courts and the
number of federal judges
Carries out federal laws
Congress can override a veto
Can approve or veto a federal bill
Appoints federal judges and high
officials
Congress confirms (approves) people
the President appoints
Executive
Congress can impeach the President
Makes foreign treaties
Congress must approve foreign treaties
Can pardon federal criminals
Supreme Court can declare executive
actions unconstitutional
Congress can propose amendments to
overturn judicial decisions
Reviews and interprets the law
Decides cases involving state’s rights
Judicial
Can declare laws and actions
unconstitutional
Congress can impeach federal judges
President appoints Supreme Court
judges
The Checks and Balances System
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Power
1) Can propose and pass
laws
2) Veto federal bills so they
do not become law
3) Appoints federal judges
4) Declare laws passed by
Congress as unconstitutional
5) Ratify treaties
6) Confirm presidential
appointments
7) Can impeach the
President
8) Declare the actions of the
President unconstitutional
9) Override presidential
vetoes.
10) Interprets and applies
the law
11) Can grant pardons to
federal criminals
12) Appoints federal officials
13) Can impeach federal
judges
Which branch has the power?
Which branch checks or is
checked by the power (can be
more than 1)
The Checks and Balances System
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ANSWER KEY
Which branch has the power?
Which branch checks or is
checked by the power (can be
more than 1)
1) Can propose and pass
laws
Legislative
Executive and Judicial
2) Veto federal bills so they
do not become law
Executive
Legislative
3) Appoints federal judges
Executive
Judicial
Judicial
Legislative
Legislative
Executive
6) Confirm presidential
appointments
Legislative
Executive
7) Can impeach the
President
Legislative
Executive
Judicial
Executive
Legislative
Executive
10) Interprets and applies
the law
Judicial
Executive and Legislative
11) Can grant pardons to
federal criminals
Executive
Judicial
Executive
Legislative
Legislative
Judicial
Power
4) Declare laws passed by
Congress as unconstitutional
5) Ratify treaties
8) Declare the actions of the
President unconstitutional
9) Override presidential
vetoes.
12) Appoints federal officials
13) Can impeach federal
judges
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Date:
The Checks and Balances System
Fill In The Blank
Use the information provided about checks and balances to fill in the blank in each sentence.
1) There are ______________ branches of government that all have different powers
2) The writers of the Constitution wanted to make sure that no branch had too much _________.
3) The President can _____________ federal bills so they do not become law.
4) The ____________________ branch has the power to declare laws unconstitutional.
5) The general purpose of the legislative branch is to ______________ the laws.
True and False
Read each statement and determine if it is true or false. If it is false, cross out the false part of
the statement and rewrite it to make the statement true.
6) The President appoints Supreme Court judges.
7) Checks and balances is a system that keeps one branch having too much power.
8) The Supreme Court can impeach the President of the United States
9) The Executive branch enforces the law.
10) The three branches of government all have similar powers.
Short Answer
Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
11) Why do you think it is important to not allow one branch to have too much power?
12) If you had to pick, which branch do you think has the most power? Explain your answer.
Name:
Date:
The Checks and Balances System
Fill In The Blank
ANSWER KEY
Use the information provided about checks and balances to fill in the blank in each sentence.
1) There are 3 branches of government that all have different powers
2) The writers of the Constitution wanted to make sure that no branch had too much power.
3) The President can veto federal bills so they do not become law.
4) The judicial branch has the power to declare laws unconstitutional.
5) The general purpose of the legislative branch is to make the laws.
True and False
Read each statement and determine if it is true or false. If it is false, cross out the false part of
the statement and rewrite it to make the statement true.
6) The President appoints Supreme Court judges.
True
7) Checks and balances is a system that keeps one branch having too much power.
Stops one branch from
8) The Supreme Court can impeach the President of the United States
Legislative branch/Congress
9) The Executive branch enforces the law.
True
10) The three branches of government all have similar powers.
Different
Short Answer
Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
11) Why do you think it is important to not allow one branch to have too much power?
Answers will vary
12) If you had to pick, which branch do you think has the most power? Explain your answer.
Answers will vary
Name:
Date:
The Checks and Balances System
Scenarios
The scenarios below are examples of the different government branches using their power. Read
the scenarios carefully and answer the questions that follow.
1) The President is not very happy with Congress. They are trying to pass a law that they know
the President is against. The President has made it very clear that he does not want Congress to
even try to pass this law and, if they do, he will veto it immediately.
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What power is being used? ___________________________________
What branch used this power? ________________________________
What check is in place for it? _________________________________
What branch is able to check that power? ________________________
2) Congress has just passed a law that says that citizens of the United States are not allowed to
talk badly about the government. In fact, if anyone does say something negative about the
government, that person can be arrested. The Supreme Court immediately steps in and says
Congress cannot do this and they refuse to allow this to become a law.
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What power is being used? ___________________________________
What branch used this power? ________________________________
What check is in place for it? _________________________________
What branch is able to check that power? ________________________
3) The new President is tired of war. He believes that America has been tied up in other
countries wars for too long and he is willing to make peace at any cost. He writes up a treaty
saying that he will give the countries the U.S. is at war with billions of dollars. He also says that
America will not interfere with anything these countries do from this day forward. Most of the
citizens of this country dislike this treaty, so Congress steps in and check the President’s power.
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What power is being used? ___________________________________
What branch used this power? ________________________________
What check is in place for it? _________________________________
What branch is able to check that power? ________________________
4) Recent Supreme Court rulings (decisions on the cases they hear) have not been making the
President happy. He really wants the Supreme Court to start making decisions he likes. Next
month, one of the Supreme Court justices is retiring and the President sees this as his chance to
get someone that will support his point of view.
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What power is being used? ___________________________________
What branch used this power? ________________________________
What check is in place for it? _________________________________
What branch is able to check that power? ________________________
Name:
Date:
The Checks and Balances System
Scenarios
ANSWER KEY
The scenarios below are examples of the different government branches using their power. Read
the scenarios carefully and answer the questions that follow.
1) The President is not very happy with Congress. They are trying to pass a law that they know
the President is against. The President has made it very clear that he does not want Congress to
even try to pass this law and, if they do, he will veto it immediately.
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What power is being used? Veto power
What branch used this power? Executive
What check is in place for it? Override veto
What branch is able to check that power? Legislative
2) Congress has just passed a law that says that citizens of the United States are not allowed to
talk badly about the government. In fact, if anyone does say something negative about the
government, that person can be arrested. The Supreme Court immediately steps in and says
Congress cannot do this and they refuse to allow this to become a law.
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What power is being used? Propose and pass bills/laws
What branch used this power? Legislative
What check is in place for it? Declare unconstitutional
What branch is able to check that power? Judicial
3) The new President is tired of war. He believes that America has been tied up in other
countries wars for too long and he is willing to make peace at any cost. He writes up a treaty
saying that he will give the countries the U.S. is at war with billions of dollars. He also says that
America will not interfere with anything these countries do from this day forward. Most of the
citizens of this country dislike this treaty, so Congress steps in and check the President’s power.
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What power is being used? Make foreign treaties
What branch used this power? Executive
What check is in place for it? Approval of foreign treaties
What branch is able to check that power? Legislative
4) Recent Supreme Court rulings (decisions on the cases they hear) have not been making the
President happy. He really wants the Supreme Court to start making decisions he likes. Next
month, one of the Supreme Court justices is retiring and the President sees this as his chance to
get someone that will support his point of view.
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What power is being used? Reviews and interprets the law
What branch used this power? Judicial
What check is in place for it? Appoint federal judges
What branch is able to check that power? Executive