Saylor.org's Comparative Politics/Checks and Balances between Branches of Government
Checks and Balances
[edit | edit source]In order to prevent any branch of government from becoming too powerful, the Framers of the Constitution in the United States created a system of checks and balances. Each branch of government has checks on the others, while it is itself also checked. The complex system can be outlined as follows:
Checks of the Legislative
Checks on the Executive
- Power to override vetoes
- Power to confirm the President's appointment of a Vice President when a vacancy in the Vice Presidency occurs
- Power to tax and allocate tax revenues for executive activities
- Oversight and investigation of executive activities
- (Senate) Power to approve treaties
- (Senate) Power to approve Presidential nominees
- (House) Impeachment, or accusation of a federal official for bribery, treason, or another high crime
- (Senate) Trial of Impeachment
Checks on the Judicial
- Power to set size and structure of courts
- (Senate) Power to approve Presidential nominees for judgeships
- (House) Impeachment
- (Senate) Trial of Impeachment
Internal Checks
- Approval of both houses required for passage of a law
Checks of the Executive
Checks on the Legislative
- Power to veto
- Power to pocket veto
- Power to call a special session of Congress when Congress is not already meeting
- Vice President presides over Senate meetings as President of the Senate
- Congress cannot reduce the salary of the President while he continues in office
Checks on the Judicial
- Power to nominate judges
- Power to fully or partially pardon convicted criminals
Checks of the Judicial
Checks on the Legislative
- Power to declare bills unconstitutional
- Congress cannot reduce the salary of a judge while he continues in office
- The Chief Justice presides over an Impeachment Trial of a President
Checks on the Executive
- Power to declare executive acts unconstitutional