a separation of powers & checks and balances

constitution

1. legislative

2. executive

3. judicial

legislative

Congress is bicameral

1. House of Representatives

• 435

• 2-year term

• based on population

2. Senate

• equal representation

• 2 per state

• 2 chambers

• 6-year term

• 100 in total

executive

President → Vice President

Trump = POTUS

J D Vance = VEEP

judicial

Supreme Court

wat sort of president did the founding fathers create

• can be held accountable through checks and balances

  • president can veto law but Congress can override this

• unites the states

what sort of role did they create for congress

• regulate the President’s power

• work with the president so that the power is seperated

how important is the Supreme Court in the minds of the Founding Fathers

not very significant it can only determine what is constitutional or not

what sort of relationship between the branches did the Founding Fathers create

• seperation of powers

• a system designed for gridlock

  • not supposed to be a tyrannical executive

• checks and balances

Congress power

Congress	President	Supreme Court
	overrule President veto control the role of POTUS as commander-in-chief of Armed Forces ratify treaties the POTUS agreed on	pass amendments that affect what Supreme Court will find constitutional

President power

Congress	President	Supreme Court
veto laws Congress made		has the power to nominate Supreme Court judges

Supreme Court power

Congress	President	Supreme Court
power to interpret legal disputes arising under acts of Congress and may declare acts of Congress unconstitutional	can decide if the laws taken by POTUS are constitutional

codification

• written in one document

• the constitution is judicable, meaning that judges can interpret actions and laws against the constitution

entrenchment

protected by law and difficult to amend in Article 5

1. enumerated powers

2. implied powers

enumerated powers

• these are simply powers that written down in this case in the constitution

• they outline specially the power a branch can exercise

implied powers

• these are powers that are interpreted from those laid out in the constitution

• they are gained from interpretations of the vague language of the constitution

vagueness of the document

vague clause known as the ‘necessary and proper clause’

• article 1 section 8 of constitution AKA elastic clause

bipartisanship

branches required to cooperate in order to exercise power through the seperation of powers