Constitution – Checks and Balances
Case study1
Readings
Read chapters 8 and 9 in your textbook.
Read the “Articles of Confederation” and the Constitution
The U.S. Constitution
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/usconst.asp
Read George Washington’s Inaugural Address
Read John Adams’s Inaugural Address
www.bartleby.com/124/pres15.html
Read Thomas Jefferson’s Inaugural Address
www.bartelby.com/124/pres16.html
In response to the inability of the Confederation government, the writers of the Constitution had two main concerns. First, they believed that a stronger central government with more authority and power was needed. Second, they believed that the power and authority of this government must be balanced with that of the states, with the people theoretically retaining most of the power and authority. They were concerned about the potential abuse of power by those who governed. Therefore, they created many “checks and balances” to protect against the abuse of power.
The Constitution divided the central government into three branches: legislative, judicial, and executive. They specifically defined the powers of each branch and reserved all other power to the states and the people.
In this case study, write an essay explaining the concept of “checks and balances,” based on the required reading. Describe several of the “checks and balances” contained in the Constitution and explain how they work. Feel free to discuss the reasons for creating this form of government. It is called a Federation and is a “representative democracy.” How is this different from a “pure democracy?”
As always in a case study, a good essay of at least three or four solid paragraphs (about 300 words) is required, as well as comments on at least two other students’ posts.
