US Government - Checks And Balances

1513 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: the relationship between three branches of government

US Government - Checks And Balances "There is no more important function for all of government to define the rights of its citizens." (Norman Dorsen) In this essay I will give a short history of the government in United States of America (U.S.). Then I will describe each of the three branches of government in the U.S. and the relationship between them. In principle, the U.S. is a democratic republic, they govern themselves by choosing their leaders by secret ballot, and these leaders in turn make the rules. Americans started "governing themselves" as a nation on July 4th, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia by representatives of the thirteen British colonies in North America. These states joined together formally in 1781 under a first "constitution," the Articles of Confederation. That loose union of the states was replaced by the Constitution of the U.S. in 1789. This document (amended 26 times) is still the political foundation of the U.S. Being based on a written constitution, the U.S. government is committed in principle to the rule of law. To guarantee the rights of free speech, a free press, freedom of religion etc. the first ten amendments, called the "Bill of Rights" were adopted in 1791. There are three levels of government in the U.S. Local government (city/county), state government, and federal government. Here I will pay most attention to the federal government. Many of the concepts of the U.S. government can be traced to progressive thinkers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, e.g. Locke, Spinoza, Blackstone, and Montesquiueu. Out of some of their thoughts the U.S. government system with the three branches were made: A legislative branch (Congress), an Executive branch (President), and a judicial branch (Supreme Court). The Constitution is most of all a document of checks and balances: among the three branches of the federal government; and between the levels of government, nation and state. The legislative branch (Congress) that has the power to make laws valid for the whole country. Powers like the regulation of taxes, regulation of commerce between the states and with foreign countries, the power to declare war, and the power to impeach the President are some of the other matters the legislative branch have to deal with. Congress has two chambers (or "houses"): the Senate and the House of Representatives ("the house"). The Senate consists of one hundred senators: Two senators from each of the fifty states.

Show More
Related

  • Three Branches: The Impact on Law Enforcement

    1151 Words  | 3 Pages

    September 17, 1787, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; during the heat of summer, in a stuffy assembly room of Independence Hall, a group of delegates gathered. After four months of closed-door quorums, a four page, hand written document was signed by thirty-nine attendees of the Constitutional Convention. This document, has come to be considered, by many, the framework to the greatest form of government every known; the Constitution of the United States. One of the first of its kind, the Constitution laid out the frame work for the government we know today. A government of the people, by the people, and for the people; constructed of three branches; each branch charged with their own responsibilities. Article one established the Congress or Legislative branch, which would be charged with legislative powers. Article two created the Executive branch, providing chief executive powers to a president, who would act in the capacity of Commander in Chief of the Country’s military forces. The President of the United States also acts as head of state to foreign nations and may establish treaties and foreign policies. Additionally, the President and the departments within the Executive branch were established as the arm of government that is responsible for implementing and enforcing the laws written by Congress. Thirdly, under Article three of the Constitution, the Judicial branch was established, and consequently afforded the duty of interpreting the laws, determining the constitutionality of the laws, and apply it to individual cases. The separation of powers is paramount to the system of checks and balances among the three branches; however, although separate they must support the functions of the others. Because of this, the Legislative an...

    Read More

  • Checks and Balances

    850 Words  | 2 Pages

    The legislative branch is responsible for making laws and includes Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate has 100 members, two from each state. The house of representatives is made up of 435 members, and the larger the population of the state is, the more representatives it will have. The House and the Senate are also known as Congressional Chambers, and they both have particular exclusive powers. The consent of both chambers is required to pass any legislation. But it can only become law if it is signed by the President. The President has the power to veto a bill though, which will deny the legislation and kick the bill back to Congress. It may then only be passed if 2/3 of both houses of Congress vote to pass the bill.

    Read More

  • Macbeth act 5

    762 Words  | 2 Pages

    Macbeth: “ Bring me no more reports. Let them fly all./ Till Birnam Wood remove to Dunsinane/ I cannot taint with fear. What’s the boy Malcolm/ Was he not born of woman?” (5.3.1-4).

    Read More

  • Criminal Justice System and Law

    1239 Words  | 3 Pages

    Within the Federal Government there are three main branches; “the Legislative, the Judicial, and Executive” (Phaedra Trethan, 2013). They have the same basic shape and the same basic roles were written in the Constitution in 1787.

    Read More

  • False Reality In Macbeth

    1405 Words  | 3 Pages

    In act one after meeting the witches and telling Lady Macbeth about what the witches said he is forced to murder King Duncan. “Duncan’s naïve and misplaced trust shows that none can be believed or truly relied upon” (Macbeth Appearance Vs. Reality Essay Plan Para. 2). Before killing Duncan, Macbeth begins to have second thoughts about what he is planning on doing. That is until Lady Macbeth starts to yell at him and she soon tells him to be “the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t” (Wiggins 336). After killing Duncan, “Macbeth sees a floating dagger, but cannot decide if this “air-drawn dagger” is real or a figment of his imagination proceeding from his “heat-oppressed brain” (Bookstove RSS Para. 1). As Macbeth becomes more and more lost in his own mind, he slowly begins to lose his grip on reality and starts to suspect that everyone except Lady Macbeth is against him. He decides that Banquo and his son need to be taken out, not only because Banquo knew about the future of Macbeth, but also because Macbeth does not want Banquo’s legacy to take thrown. After the murderers kill off Banquo and report it to Macbeth they reluctantly inform Macbeth that Fleance managed to escape before they were able to kill him. Macbeth goes back to the table and to his surprise sees a familiar face. Macbeth says, “Avant! and

    Read More

  • The Inefficiency of the U.S. Constitution

    1287 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Constitution of the United States set up an intricate government with a very brief document. The Constitution is actually shorter than this essay, but was still able to set up all of the procedures that make our government act so slowly today. One process that takes an especially long time is passing a bill to make a law. Every governmental action has to be put into writing and then passed by the Congress and the Supreme Court. Too many government agencies have to examine every bill. The United States government only starts at the national level with the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative branches. Everything breaks down into more areas such as the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Federal government's semi-equal is the state government. State government breaks down into several subsidiaries as well. The court system is an excellent example of how a government system breaks down from a national to a community level. For instance, the high court in America is the U.S. Supreme Court. The step down from ther...

    Read More

  • Macbeth: Ambition, Fate, and Shakespeare's Artistry

    1262 Words  | 3 Pages

    The ghost of Banquo haunts Macbeth, and Lady Macbeth becomes psychotic from her guilt. Lady Macbeth commits suicide (from guilt), Macbeth goes into a deep depression. Macbeth turns to the Weird Sisters who put his mind at ease telling him, “...he will be safe until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane and that no one “of woman born” shall harm him” (Britannica). Malcolm, Duncan’s son, assembles an army in which Macduff, a nobleman who was against Macbeth’s ascension to the throne, joins. Macbeth seeks revenge by murdering Macduff’s family. Macbeth sees the prophecy coming true when Malcolm 's army uses Birnam Wood as camouflage and marches on Dunsinane (Britannica). Macduff was ““from his mother’s womb untimely ripped” by cesarean section and in that quibbling sense was not “of woman born”” (Britannica). Macduff kills Macbeth and Malcolm becomes

    Read More

  • Power of the Branches

    1126 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Judiciary Branch offers checks and balances to the other branches of government. To both the Legislative and Executive branches, the Judicial Branch holds the power of judicial review. The Judicial branch can also declare existing laws as unconstitutional.

    Read More

  • Macbeth's Downfall: The Tragedy of Ambition and Influence

    802 Words  | 2 Pages

    When Macbeth arrives back to witches they offer him three apparitions. The first apparition is an armed head that warns Macbeth to beware MacDuff. The second apparition is a bloody child that says no man born of woman will harm Macbeth. The third apparition of a crowned child holding a tree says, “Macbeth shall never be vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him.”(Shakespeare, IV, I, 91-93) Macbeth is pleased with the apparitions but wants to know more information about his future. The witches then show him a procession of kings followed by Banquo. Macbeth is angered by this and finds out that MacDuff has gone to Malcolm for help to overthrow him. Macbeth feels threatened so he plans to have MacDuff’s whole family murdered along with everyone in his castle. Macbeth is ruthless and has no sense of regret, all he wants it to become

    Read More

  • Essay Outline Of Macbeth

    1203 Words  | 3 Pages

    Banquo and Macbeth eventually arrive, and talk to the witches. They question them, wondering what they are, and despite getting a straightforward answer they tell Macbeth of his future. The witches tell Macbeth that he is to eventually become the Thane of Cawdor, and in due course become king. Astonished by these tellings, Banquo asks the witches about his future, and he is told that his sons will eventually become king. As any man would be, Macbeth and his partner question these seemingly unofficial prophecy, until Angus and Ross come into scene. They tell Macbeth that he has indeed become the new Thane of Cawdor, which settles Macbeth’s suspicions on whether or not these foretelling’s are true although Banquo remains suspicious, since the witches were not completely

    Read More

  • Macbeth Act 1: Plot

    376 Words  | 1 Pages

    Before Duncan had the time to reach Macbeth with the good news, the three witches approach him and Banquo. The greet Macbeth with three different titles: Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor and King Hereafter, but this confuses Macbeth. Not only do the witches tell Macbeth his future, they also tell Banquo that although he will never be King, his children will be… and then they vanish once again.

    Read More

  • How Does The Witches Affect Macbeth

    1107 Words  | 3 Pages

    They challenge Macbeth’s character over the course of the play by giving him three simple prophecies about his life. The witches cause the play’s theme to start as very dark and gloomy because of their prophecies to Macbeth. If

    Read More

  • Macbeth, a Noble Man Gone Astray

    1559 Words  | 4 Pages

    This again shows how eager Macbeth is despite how sinastrous these three witches are. This quote can also show the readers that if the witches had not told them the prophecy...

    Read More

  • What Is The Role Of The Supernatural In Macbeth

    970 Words  | 2 Pages

    The deliberately ambiguous apparitions play on Macbeth’s hubris and they make him feel so overconfident that he feels invincible and unstoppable. In his castle, Macbeth jokes that he will never fail “till Birnam wood remove to Dunsinane” (V.iii.2) thinking that the apparition literally means that the forest will pick itself up and move to Dunsinane which he thinks is impossible despite all the supernatural events he has experienced. However, the forest does not move by itself but it does move to Dunsinane because of Malcolm’s ingenious strategy. As Malcolm approaches Macbeth’s castle with the English forces, he orders each soldier to cut off the branches of the trees of Birnam Wood to use as camouflage. This greatly contributes to Macbeth’s downfall since he was nowhere near ready for an invasion of the English forces. However, because of his hubris, he is still confident that he is unstoppable as he believes no one “borne a woman” (V.iii.6) can harm him. Unbeknown to him, Macduff was born through a caesarean section and thus not “borne” so much as “taken” from a woman. This lack of access to the entire truth sees Macbeth eventually

    Read More

  • Importance Of The First Scene In Macbeth

    831 Words  | 2 Pages

    The first scene in Macbeth plays a vital role.We as the readers are introduced to the three Witches.The witches were believed to be attendants of the devil who had sold their souls to be given the possession of evil powers.The presence of the witches sets the tone for the rest of the tragic play.

    Read More

More about US Government - Checks And Balances

Open Document