Checks and
Balances
Mr. Hall
Each branch of government has some form
of control over or influence on the other two
Judicial Branch
Legislative Branch
INTERPRETS LAWS
MAKES LAWS
Executive Branch
CARRIES OUT
LAWS
Checks and Balances
• Congress checks the President
– Makes laws
– Appropriates funding
– Coins money
– Can override a veto by 2/3 vote
– Impeach the President
– Senate approves treaties and Presidential
appointments for judges
– Declares war
– Regulates immigration
Checks and Balances
• Congress checks the Supreme Court
– Creates lower courts
– Impeach federal judges
– Senate approves appointment of judges
Checks and Balances
• Supreme Court checks President
– Judges are appointed for life
– May declare executive actions
unconstitutional
Checks and Balances
• Supreme Court checks Congress
– May declare acts of Congress (laws)
unconstitutional
Checks and Balances
• President checks Congress
– May veto legislation (laws)
– Call special sessions of Congress
– Appeal to the people (through State of the
Union Address) to influence legislation
Checks and Balances
• Additional Presidential Powers
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Carries out Laws
Makes treaties with other nations
Writes the budget
Can “pardon” a felon (excuse them)
Can grant amnesty (same as “pardon” but for a
group)
– Granted special war-time powers
Checks and Balances Scenarios
• Identify which branch of government is
checking which branch
• “The President vetoes a bill passed by
Congress”
– Executive checks Legislative
• “The Supreme Court rules a law passed by
Congress is unconstitutional”
– Judicial checks legislative
Checks and Balances Scenarios
• “Congress refuses to confirm the nomination of Bob
Dorkmeister to the Supreme Court”
– Legislative checks executive
• “A bill to raise the legal driving age to 18 is vetoed”
– Executive checks legislative
• “U.S. diplomats write a treaty with the government of
Iraq, but the U.S. never approves the treaty”
– Legislative checks executive
Checks and Balances Scenarios
• “Justice Jones is impeached for abusing her power
and accepting bribes”
– Legislative checks judicial
• “A law outlawing the Black Panthers as an
organization is found unconstitutional because it
violates first amendment rights”
– Judicial checks legislative
• “A conservative federal judge is appointed by a
conservative President after a liberal justice dies”
– Executive checks judicial
Checks and Balances Scenarios
• “The Supreme Courts interprets an executive
order requiring border guards to stop workers
from crossing the U.S./Mexican border, which
violates a treaty with Mexico”
– Judicial checks executive
• “A spy is found guilty of treason, but the
President grants a pardon from the death
penalty”
– Executive checks judicial
Checks and Balances Scenarios
• “The Department of Education’s policy that all
students must be taught in English only is
ruled a violation of the Constitution”
– Judicial checks executive
• “A special session of Congress is called
because Congress did not vote on a bill to
fund relief efforts in Afghanistan”
– Executive checks legislative
Checks and Balances Scenarios
• “The President promises to spend $5 billion more on
education next year, but when the next year comes,
the budget only gives $1 billion more to education”
– Legislative checks executive
• “Congress overrides a veto by getting a 2/3 majority
vote in the Senate and the House of Representatives
in order to pass a bill into law”
– Legislative checks executive