Separation of Powers in U.S. and Canada

What is the reason for separation of powers in the U.S. government?

The U.S. government divides its power into three main groups, or branches, to spread out the

(a)  

Which statement best explains why the Framers of the U.S. Constitution chose to divide government power into three separate branches?

• They wanted to make the government more efficient and able to respond quickly to national emergencies.

• They believed that by having three branches, the government would be easier for citizens to understand and trust.

• They feared that concentrating the power to make, enforce, and interpret laws in one place would lead to tyranny and oppression.

• They thought three smaller branches would be less expensive to run than one large, all-powerful government department.

Categorize the three branches of government from the information in the reading.

Groups:

(a) LEGISLATIVE

,

(b) EXECUTIVE

,

(c) JUDICIAL

• determine if a law violates the Constitution

• Heads of agencies and departments that help run the government

• explain what the law means

• makes laws

• enforces the laws

• President, Vice President

• Supreme Court and lesser courts

• makes sure the laws made by Congress are carried out and followed

• Congress

• interprets the laws

Match the three core functions of government with the U.S. Branch that is primarily responsible for that function:

• Carries out and executes laws.

• Judicial Branch

• Creates new federal laws.

• Executive Branch

• Explains the meaning of laws.

• Legislative Branch

According to the separation of powers, under which branch would the police and FBI fall?

• Legislative Branch

• Judicial Branch

• Executive Branch

Checks and balances is a system that gives each branch a way to check, or (a)   , the power of the other two branches.

The President is negotiating a treaty with a foreign country to reduce carbon emissions. After the President signs the treaty, which action represents a check on the Executive Branch by the Legislative Branch, demonstrating the need for collaboration?

• The House of Representatives must vote to impeach the President.

• The House of Representatives must approve the necessary funding for the treaty’s programs.

• The Senate must approve the treaty with a two-thirds vote.

• The Supreme Court must rule that the treaty is constitutional.

A state passes a law requiring prayer in all public schools, and the U.S. Congress then passes a similar federal law. Which check is the most powerful tool the Judicial Branch has to strike down these laws?

• The power of judicial review.

• The power of legislative initiative.

• The power of original jurisdiction.

• The power to appoint judges.

• Obama's pen

Organize these options into the right categories

Groups:

(a) U.S.

,

(b) Canada

,

(c) both

• There is strict separation of the executive and legislative branches

• If Prime Minister loses support of the elected members of Parliamentm a new election is called

• President elected separately from Congress

• limited government

• Supreme Court

• Parliament

• like two different sports teams that have to work together

• Congress

• The executive branch comes directly from the legislative branch

• The President is not a member of Congress

• The Prime Minister is a member of Parliament

• President

• representative government

• Prime Minister

• like the captain and star players of the winning team, and the team runs the country together