14. What stops one branch of government from
becoming too powerful?
++ checks and balances
++ separation of powers
The Constitution separates the government’s power
into three branches to prevent one person or group
from having too much power. The separation of
government into three branches creates a system of
checks and balances. This means that each branch can
block, or threaten to block, the actions of the other
branches. Here are some examples: the Senate (part
of the legislative branch) can block a treaty signed by
the president (the executive branch). In this example,
the legislative branch is “checking” the executive. The
U.S. Supreme Court (the judicial branch) can reject
a law passed by Congress (the legislative branch).
In this example, the judicial branch is “checking”
the legislative branch. This separation of powers
limits the power of the government and prevents the
government from violating the rights of the people.
15. Who is in charge of the executive branch?
++ the President
The job of the executive branch is to carry out,
or execute, federal laws and enforce laws passed
by Congress. The head of the executive branch is
the president. The president is both the head of
state and the head of government. The president’s
powers include the ability to sign treaties with other
countries and to select ambassadors to represent the
United States around the world. The president also
sets national policies and proposes laws to Congress.
The president names the top leaders of the federal
departments. When there is a vacancy on the Supreme