Democracy, the Constitution and the Balance of Power

Paper Summary:

This paper states that, although the Federal Constitution of the United States with its "Checks and Balances" makes it the best-known and most democratic system in the world today, most governments, even dictatorial ones, have a similar mechanism to balance the exercise of power among its branches. The author feels that the U.S. Constitution was and will be a reaction piece to events that happen to the people. This paper concludes that power must be controlled and accounted for: It is not only a right and a privilege but also, more so, a responsibility.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Checks and Balances in the Legislative Branch
The System and the People's Rights
The System and the Judiciary
A Brilliant System in Present Times

From the Paper:

"The system has been tested by actual situations. After the Civil War, President Andrew Johnson vetoed 20 bills (Anonymous), after which Congress overrode more than 20 bills vetoed by the President. In 1918, Congress turned down the Treaty of Versailles, which then President Woodrow Wilson worked hard for. The Treaty was to end World War I. In 1935 to 1936, Supreme Court declared that the NIRA and the AAA, New Deal programs passed by the Roosevelt Administration, were unconstitutional. Likewise, former President Ronald Regan appointed Judge Robert Bork to the Supreme Court, but his appointment or nomination was rejected by Congress."

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