Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances Quiz

Executive Responsibility

Carry out the law

Executive: Local/City

Mayor Lyndell Brenton- Liberty Sly James- KC

Judicial: State

Missouri Supreme Court or State Supreme Court Missouri Court of Appeals (K.C., St. Louis, Springfield)

Shared Powers

Branches of gov. have powers that other branches have too.

Example 2 of Shared Powers

Brett Kavanaugh Executive- Nominates Legislative- Senate approves him

Legislative Responsibility

Make the law

The federal judiciary can check the president by...

1. Declaring actions of the executive branch unconstitutional, and therefore void and not in effect.

The federal judiciary can check congress by...

1. Declaring laws unconstitutional, and therefore void and not in effect.

Congress can check the judicial branch by...

1. Rejecting presidential appointments to the federal judiciary 2. Proposing constitutional amendments to overrule judicial decisions 3. Impeaching federal judges (including Supreme Court justices) 4. Making exceptions to the judiciary's appellate jurisdiction.

Congress can check the president by...

1. Rejecting treaties the President has negotiated 2. Rejecting presidential appointments of federal judges, ambassadors, and other appointments to the executive branch (such as Secretary of State, Secretary of Treasury, lower-level appointees to the executive branch agencies, etc.) 3. Not authorizing funds for a presidential initiative 4. Overriding a president's veto of legislation; and impeaching a president.

The president can check the judiciary by....

1. The appointment of federal judges 2. Issuing pardons to convicted persons whose judicial appeals have failed.

The president can check congress by...

1. Vetoing legislation 2. Requiring Congress to adjourn (if they cannot decide on an adjournment time) 3. By requiring them to convene (if they are not meeting and important issues arise which the president wants them to address).

Access Points

Allow people to access government

Legislative: Local/City

City Council Liberty= 4 wards (two members each ward) KC= 12 members

Legislative: Federal

Congress House of Rep=435 Senate=100

Executive: County

County Executive/Frank White (Jackson County) Clay County Commissioners (3) Jerry Nolte- Presiding Commissioner Gana Owen- Western Commissioner Luann Ridgeway- Eastern Commissioner

Legislative: County

County Legislature

Federalism

Division of state and federal government.

Executive: State

Governor and Lieutenant Governor (Mo, Ks, Ia, Lt's became governor) It does not matter who the Lt gov. is until it matters who the Lt. gov is.

Intra Branch Check

House checks the senate or vice versa.

Judicial Responsibility

Interpret the law

Why does our government contain checks and balances and separation of powers?

It has separation of powers to make sure that one group of people doesn't hold the power. We also have checks and balances though to make sure that one branch doesn't invade the power of another branch.

Judicial: Local/City

Municipal Court or Traffic Court

Example of Shared Powers

Passing a Bill Legislative- House and Senate have to say yes to the exact same thing. Executive- President says yes **Would only go to judicial if the constitutionality is questioned

Executive: Federal

President and Vice President Federal Agencies - EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) It does not matter who the vp is until it matters who the vp is.

Judicial: County

State Circuit Court or State Trial Court 114 Counties

Legislative: State

State Legislature General Assembly House=163 Senate=34

What is separation of powers?

The division of political power into the separate branches of government, legislative, executive and judicial, so that each is independent of each of the other branches.

What are checks and balances?

The giving of each of those branches some power to act as a check on the actions of each of the others, constraining the independence of each to some degree.

True or False: There are different levels of access points (State vs Federal and Executive vs Legislative vs Judicial)

True

Judicial: Federal

U.S. Supreme Court (9 Justices) 13 Courts of Appeal 94 District Courts

Example of an Intra Branch Check

Voting on a Bill -The House approves the Bill -The Senate rejects the bill

Branch that is being checked

What branch is being looked at or limited? The President Grants a Pardon- Judicial

Checking Branch

What branch is doing the checking? The President Grants a Pardon- Executive

When you get denied access at one level,

You can go to other access points