Sample Daily Dose

What Are Checks and Balances?

Checks and balances are ways each branch of the federal government can limit the others. The goal is not speed. The goal is to prevent too much power from sitting in one place.

Congress writes laws, the president can approve or veto them, and courts can decide whether government actions follow the Constitution.

Takeaway

American government is designed to make major national decisions pass through more than one institution.