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The Role of Checks and Balances in Government
← Back to How government works topics← Back to LearnA civics adventure written for readers of all ages.
Start with a question
How does government keep itself from having too much power in one place? The answer lies in a system designed to balance power and protect freedom.
In brief
Checks and balances is a system where different parts of government have powers that can limit each other to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.
Questions to think about
- Why is it important for government power to be divided among different branches?
- Can you think of a situation where one branch might try to have too much power? How could checks and balances help?
- How do checks and balances protect the rights of citizens?
Try this
Take a moment to list the three branches of government and one power each branch has to check the others. Then, discuss with someone why that check might be important.
One thing to take away
In your own words, why does a government need checks and balances?
Story bridge
Story bridge
Imagine traveling through time and witnessing governments that either had no limits on power or had systems to keep power balanced. Seeing the effects of these differences helps us understand why checks and balances are essential for a fair government.
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