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Dbq Essay On Checks And Balances

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Tyranny can form in a democracy government. In 1787 state leaders began to write the Constitution. Under the Articles of Confederation, there was no chief executive and no court system. The goal was to create a new Constitution that would prevent tyranny. James Madison worried if we didn't have checks and balances there would be to much power given to one group.The check and balance system prevents one branch from controlling the other branches. Federal and local governments have there own powers to prevent one from having excessive control over the other governments.. The small state-large state representation system helps prevent bigger states from overpowering smaller states. The Constitution explains the check and balance system, federalism, …show more content…

For example, the legislative branch can check the power of the chief executive by overriding a president’s veto. The president can check the Supreme Court by nominating the Supreme Court justices. The Supreme Court can check Congress by declaring a law unconstitutional. As James Madison wrote, “The constant aim is to divide and arrange the several officers in such a manner as that they may be a check on the other” (Document C). James Madison, stresses the importance of checks and balances. James Madison can concludes that without a checks and balance system, that branches can make negative decisions. For example, congress passes a bill, that is unconstitutional and the president disagrees with. Without the check and balance system that bill becomes a law, with the checks and balance system the president can veto the bill and the judicial branch can declare the bill unconstitutional. The government is set up to be intentionally divided to assure one branch will not be able to overpower the others. The complex process of checks and balances prevents tyranny because all the branches have equal and competing …show more content…

This compound government is called federalism. As shown in the diagram in Document A, some of the powers given to the central government include: regulating trade, declaring war, and making immigration laws. The federal government makes laws that will affect all American citizens. As shown in the diagram in Document A, Some of the powers given to the states: establish schools, pass marriage and divorce laws.Local and state governments make laws that will affect the community and citizens in the state. The federal government can tell the states what to do in some cases, but can not take away the powers given to the states.When you travel to another state, the state must respect your state's laws such as driving age laws. For example if you are from South Dakota and have a license at 14, and are driving through North Carolina where you can not have a permit at 14, They can not restrict you from driving as long as you are a resident of South Dakota.. However if you move to North Carolina you must stop driving and wait to get a North Carolina state licence because you have to respect other states laws as well. The state and federal government also have shared powers, laws that would affect both the country and state, such as tax. For example, you have to pay a federal tax to the federal government and a state tax to the state government. Federalism gives local

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