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Simple English definitions for legal terms
checks and balances
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A quick definition of checks and balances:
Checks and balances is a way of making sure that no one person or group has too much power in the government. It means that each part of the government has the ability to stop or change what the other parts are doing. For example, the president can say no to a new law, but the Congress can say yes anyway if enough people agree. This helps to keep the government fair and prevent any one person or group from becoming too powerful.A more thorough explanation:
Checks and balances is a system in which each branch of government has the power to limit the actions of the other branches. This ensures that no one branch has too much power and can control the entire government.
For example, the executive branch can veto a law passed by the legislative branch, but the legislative branch can override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote. This means that the executive branch cannot make laws without the approval of the legislative branch.
Another example is the judicial branch, which can declare a law passed by the legislative branch unconstitutional. This means that the legislative branch cannot make laws that violate the Constitution.
Checks and balances is an important part of the United States government and helps to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.