The powers of government are divided into three branches (executive, legislative, and judicial) and each branch of the government should limit the power of the others.
Note that in many countries of the world, the executive and legislative roles (e.g. prime ministers) are not entirely separate, at least not as much so as the judicial.
French philosopher, Montesquieu(1689-1755)
Checks and Balances is the means whereby each branch of government has some control on the other branches. Congress, for example, may pass a law but the President may check Congress and reject the law by his veto power. The Congress, in turn, can check the President by overriding the veto by a two-thirds vote of each house. The federal courts can check the executive and the legislative branches. the checks and balances is the 3rd most important part of the constitution
The balance of powers refers to the separation of powers, and the idea of ambition-limiting-ambition outlined by the founding fathers in the constitution. This is one of many checks and balances, but not the only one, or the same thing...
Checks and Balances -apex
check a history book
each branch of the government should limit the power of the others
Each branch of government limits the power of the other branches. -MeBeeBee
montesquieus
montesquieus
Each branch of the government should limit the power of the others.
Each branch of the government should limit the power of the others.
checks and balances
Barron de Montesquieu originally thought of the idea for checks and balances. :)
Montesquieu's conception of the separation of powers in "The Spirit of the Laws" primarily involved the division of government into three branches: the legislative, the executive, and the judiciary. A view that was NOT part of his conception is the idea that these branches should operate in a completely independent and isolated manner without any checks or balances among them. Montesquieu emphasized the importance of a system of checks and balances to prevent tyranny and ensure that no single branch could dominate the others.
Checks and balances
The writers of the US Constitution put into practice the idea of separation of powers through a system of checks and balances.
John locke