checks and balances

[cheks uhn bal-uhn-siz]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

plural noun

limits imposed on all branches of a government by vesting in each branch the right to amend or void those acts of another that fall within its purview.

checks and balances

plural noun

government competition and mutual restraint among the various branches of government

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Word History and Origins

Origin of checks and balances¹

First recorded in 1780–90

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Idioms and Phrases

System whereby each branch of an organization can limit the powers of the other branches, as in The union has used a system of checks and balances to prevent any large local from dominating its policies. This system was enacted through the Constitution of the United States in order to prevent any of its three branches from dominating the Federal government. The term is occasionally transferred to other mechanisms for balancing power.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

This system of separation of powers and checks and balances is designed to prevent tyranny and ensure a balanced government.

From

But he also warned: “This isn’t about protests in Los Angeles. This is about all of us. This is about you. California may be first, but it clearly won’t end here. Democracy is under assault before our eyes. This moment we feared has arrived. There are no longer any checks and balances.”

From

The Constitution’s checks and balances are premised on each branch wanting to protect its powers.

From

This was not yet a presidential system, but it carried its genetic imprint - a powerful executive, marginalised judiciary and weakened checks and balances.

From

Through the Forty-third and Forty-fourth Amendments, it rolled back key parts of the Forty Second, scrapping authoritarian provisions and restoring democratic checks and balances.

From

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When To Use

�� does checks and balances mean?

Checks and balances refers to a system of power that is divided into parts or branches. Each branch can stop or limit the powers of the others. Checks and balances are frequently used in governments, especially national governments.A system of checks and balances is fundamental to the United States’s federal government. The first three articles of the U.S. Constitution establish this system. The checks and balances ensure no one person or group has all the political power and can’t unjustly enforce their will on the nation’s citizens. The system is also intended to encourage cooperation, compromise, and debate between the branches of government.America’s system of government is divided into the legislative branch, the judicial branch, and the executive branch. Each branch has ways it can limit the power of the others. Checks and balances exist at every level of American government (federal, state, and sometimes local).At the federal level, the legislative branch is Congress, the judicial branch is the federal court system (at the top of which is the Supreme Court), and the executive branch is led by the president. Creating laws is one way the U.S. uses checks and balances. Congress suggests a law in a bill. When it has enough votes, the bill goes to the president, who can accept or reject (veto) it. If the president vetoes a bill, it goes back to Congress. Congress can make changes or vote on it again. If two-thirds of the Senate and House of Representatives (the two parts of Congress) approve it, the bill becomes a law. However, the Supreme Court can rule a law unconstitutional, which means it is no longer a law.

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