Three Branches of the Federal Government and How They Check Each Other
How effectively do the three branches of the Federal government check each other?
The checks and balances system was put in place in order to stabilise the separation of powers. However, questions have arisen regarding how effective and credible the checks and balances system really is; debating whether some branches have more power than others. According to the constitution the legislative branch is to make the laws, the judicial branch is to review the laws to be sure that they are constitutional, and the executive branch is to enforce the laws. Each branch provides checks and reviews on the other branches to ensure separation of powers.
The president is named by the Constitution as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, giving him an incredibly powerful position in times of war. The Framers worried that the president's wartime role was too powerful, in fact, and thus gave Congress a powerful set of checks and balances on the president's war powers. Only Congress, not the president, has the power to declare war. Perhaps even more important, only Congress has the power to pay for wartime expenses. That means that if the president tries to launch an ill-advised military escapade, Congress can effectively pull the plug, forcing the president to bring his troops home by refusing to fund their continued deployment. This is considered effective as it means that the president has to involve congress to gain representation of the country before making big decisions. However, the president has exploited his role as commander in chief to effectively take over Congress’s power to declare war. For example, President Bush gave congress false intelligence in order for them to authorise the War on Terror, an international military campaign which included the war in Afghanistan launched in 2001 and the war in Iraq launched in 2003.
A "bill" is introduced when a member of Congress decides to create a new law. Each bill is first assigned to a committee for review where the bill
The checks and balances system was put in place in order to stabilise the separation of powers. However, questions have arisen regarding how effective and credible the checks and balances system really is; debating whether some branches have more power than others. According to the constitution the legislative branch is to make the laws, the judicial branch is to review the laws to be sure that they are constitutional, and the executive branch is to enforce the laws. Each branch provides checks and reviews on the other branches to ensure separation of powers.
The president is named by the Constitution as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, giving him an incredibly powerful position in times of war. The Framers worried that the president's wartime role was too powerful, in fact, and thus gave Congress a powerful set of checks and balances on the president's war powers. Only Congress, not the president, has the power to declare war. Perhaps even more important, only Congress has the power to pay for wartime expenses. That means that if the president tries to launch an ill-advised military escapade, Congress can effectively pull the plug, forcing the president to bring his troops home by refusing to fund their continued deployment. This is considered effective as it means that the president has to involve congress to gain representation of the country before making big decisions. However, the president has exploited his role as commander in chief to effectively take over Congress’s power to declare war. For example, President Bush gave congress false intelligence in order for them to authorise the War on Terror, an international military campaign which included the war in Afghanistan launched in 2001 and the war in Iraq launched in 2003.
A "bill" is introduced when a member of Congress decides to create a new law. Each bill is first assigned to a committee for review where the bill