Separation of Powers and Liberty

Separation of Powers and Liberty

Separation of Powers and Liberty: What exactly does this mean?

The Constitution also established a separation of powers, which is an idea that is of great importance to liberty.

What's the point of separating powers anyway?

Separating and balancing the powers of government helps to ensure that each branch has specific functions. It ensures that no one branch can become too powerful, and helps preserves American liberty and freedom.

Separating and balancing the powers of government helps ensure that the will of the majority is respected and the rights of the minority are protected. To keep such divisions, the government was divided into three branches.

Legislative Branch

The legislative branch is made up of the lower body of the House of Representatives and the upper body of the Senate, which together are the United States Congress. The legislative branch is responsible for making and writing laws.

Executive Branch

The executive branch includes the President, the Vice President, and the heads of the executive departments. The executive branch is responsible for implementing the laws of the United States.

Judicial Branch

The judicial branch is made up of the Supreme Court and other federal courts. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States, with the ultimate power to make legal decisions and judgments over federal court cases and over state court cases involving federal law. The Supreme Court is made up of nine justices – the name given to judges of the Supreme Court. Of the nine, one is the chief justice of the United States. They are the most powerful people in the judicial branch. The judicial branch is responsible for interpreting laws.

Let’s Reflect

Think about being part of a sports team or another team.

• What are the risks involved with having one individual in complete control of everything?
• Of having one individual with absolute power and not sharing decision-making or responsibilities with anyone else?