what is checks and balances

Checks and balances is a principle of government that ensures that no individual or group has too much power. It is applied primarily in constitutional governments, and it is of fundamental importance in tripartite governments, such as that of the United States, which separate powers among legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The U.S. Constitution divided the government into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial, and this was an important decision because it created a separation of powers. The ability of each branch to respond to the actions of the other branches is the system of checks and balances. For example, the legislative branch makes laws, but the President in the executive branch can veto those laws with a Presidential Veto. The judicial branch interprets laws, but the President nominates Supreme Court justices, court of appeals judges, and district court judges who make the evaluations. The judicial branch interprets laws, but the Senate in the legislative branch confirms the President’s nominations for judicial positions, and Congress can impeach any of those judges and remove them from office. Checks and balances are important in businesses and other organizations where one individual can make decisions that affect operations. Checks and balances can cost more money and decrease efficiency but can be critical in helping to identify internal and external theft.