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
