separation of powers

[sep-uh-rey-shuhn uhv pou-erz]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

the principle or system of vesting in separate branches the executive, legislative, and judicial powers of a government.

A fundamental principle of the United States government, whereby powers and responsibilities are divided among the legislative branch, executive branch, and judicial branch. The officials of each branch are selected by different procedures and serve different terms of office; each branch may choose to block action of the other branches through the system of checks and balances. The framers of the Constitution designed this system to ensure that no one branch would accumulate too much power and that issues of public policy and welfare would be given comprehensive consideration before any action was taken.

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Example Sentences

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

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We need to defend the independence of institutions and the separation of powers.

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Many independent observers have assailed the exercise as a triumph of politics over justice — and a potentially fatal blow for the separation of powers, a crucial pillar of democratic rule.

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There is a fascinating assessment of the separation of powers in the US which includes reference to both former President Richard Nixon's limited use of the same powers and the Federalist Papers of Hamilton and Madison.

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NPR and three Colorado affiliates filed the lawsuit on Tuesday, arguing that the order violated the First Amendment and “flatly contravenes statutes duly enacted by Congress and violates the Separation of Powers and the Spending Clause by disregarding Congress’s express command.”

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separation of church and state separation of variables

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