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Three Branches, One Balance: How Power Keeps Power in Check · Dividing government into legislative, executive, and judicial branches that can check one another prevents any single part from accumulating too much power. · D2.Civ.4.6-8

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Prerequisite: Complete or review Three Branches, One Balance: How Power Is Shared

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Three Branches, One Balance: How Power Keeps Power in Check

with Atlas

Atlas grips one side of a giant balance scale as a heavy block labeled 'Executive' starts to tip downward, while blocks labeled 'Legislative' and 'Judicial' push back from the opposite side to restore the balance

Identify the three branches of government and the main job of each one.
Explain why dividing power among separate branches limits any single branch.
Describe at least two specific ways one branch can check another branch's power.
Apply the idea of checks and balances to a real example situation.

Key terms

Legislative branch: Congress, the branch that makes laws through the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Executive branch: The President, the branch that carries out and enforces the laws.
Judicial branch: The courts, the branch that interprets laws and rules on real cases.
Judicial review: The courts' power to rule a law unconstitutional, established in Marbury v. Madison in 1803.
Senate confirmation: The Senate's power to approve or reject the President's nominees for federal judgeships.

Three Verbs to Remember

If one person made the rules, enforced them, and judged who broke them, that person would have far too much power. To prevent this, the United States splits power into three branches summed up by three verbs: the legislative branch MAKES laws, the executive branch CARRIES OUT laws, and the judicial branch INTERPRETS laws and rules on real cases. Knowing these verbs lets you place almost any government action quickly.

How Branches Check One Another

Each branch can push back to stop overreach. Congress writes bills, but the President can veto them; Congress can override a veto only with two-thirds of both the House and the Senate, a high bar that makes overrides rare. The President nominates federal judges, but the Senate must confirm them. Because every branch needs the others to act, cooperation is built into the system.

Courts and the Constitution

The judicial branch holds a powerful check called judicial review, the ability to rule that a law conflicts with the Constitution and strike it down. This power was established in the landmark 1803 Supreme Court case Marbury v. Madison. Judicial review means even a law that Congress passed and the President signed can be overturned if it violates the nation's highest rulebook.

Worked examples

The President nominates a Supreme Court justice. What role does another branch play, and which branch is it?

Identify the action: the executive branch is choosing a judge.
Recall the check on this power: a nominee must be confirmed.
Determine which branch confirms judicial nominees.
Name the branch and its role.

Answer: The Senate, part of the legislative branch, must confirm the nominee before they can serve.

Match each action to its branch: introducing a bill, signing a disaster-relief order, striking down a law.

Recall the three verbs: make, carry out, interpret.
Introducing a bill is making law, so it is legislative.
Signing an order is carrying out law, so it is executive.
Striking down a law is interpreting against the Constitution, so it is judicial.

Answer: Introducing a bill is legislative, signing an order is executive, and striking down a law is judicial.

Hi, I'm Atlas. Imagine if one person made all the rules, enforced all the rules, AND decided who broke them. That person would have far too much power, and there would be nothing anyone could do to stop them. To prevent this, the United States splits power into three branches. The LEGISLATIVE branch — Congress — MAKES laws. The EXECUTIVE branch — the President — CARRIES OUT laws. The JUDICIAL branch — the courts — INTERPRETS laws and rules on real cases. Here is the clever part: each branch can 'check' the others, meaning it can push back to stop overreach. Congress writes a bill, but the President can veto it — refusing to sign it into law. Congress can override that veto, but only if two-thirds of BOTH the House of Representatives AND the Senate agree. That high bar makes an override rare and serious. Courts can also rule that a law conflicts with the Constitution, a power called judicial review — established through the landmark Supreme Court case Marbury v. Madison in 1803. The President nominates federal judges, but the Senate must confirm them. Every branch needs the others to act. If you ever feel confused, remember the three verbs: MAKE, CARRY OUT, and INTERPRET. Then ask: who watches each one?

Activity

Match each real government action card to the branch that performs that action.

Practice

Match each to a branch: a senator introduces a bill, the President signs an order, and the Court strikes down a law.

Explain why an override requiring two-thirds of both chambers makes overriding a veto rare and serious.

Common mistakes to avoid

The President is in charge of everything.The three branches are co-equal; Congress can override vetoes and confirm nominees, and courts can strike down executive actions.
A simple majority can override a presidential veto.An override requires a two-thirds supermajority in both the House and the Senate, not a simple majority in one chamber.

Check your understanding

Which branch of government is mainly responsible for MAKING laws?

Congress passes a new law, but the President vetoes it. What must happen for the law to pass anyway?

A student says, 'The President is in charge of everything, so the President can do whatever they want.' Which response best explains why this idea is incorrect?

The President nominates a new Supreme Court justice. What role does another branch play in this process, and which branch is it?

Recap

Power is split into legislative, executive, and judicial branches that make, carry out, and interpret laws, and checks like the veto, override, judicial review, and Senate confirmation keep any single branch from accumulating too much power.

Reflect

Which check do you think does the most to prevent one branch from dominating?