Constitutional Government

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses how each of the three branches of the U.S. federal government have the responsibility to provide a constitutional check on the powers of the other two branches. The paper discusses the inevitable imperfections of constitutional government and refers to the present Bush administration and its flaws. The paper notes, however, that because of the constitutional authority enjoyed by the American people through elections, they have the ultimate authority to remove legislators and presidents from office should they choose to do so.

From the Paper:

"The United States Constitution mandates that each of the three branches of the federal government exists in order to provide a constitutional check on the powers of the other two branches. Congress has express and implied powers, as does the chief executive and the judiciary, and these respective powers are intended to serve as checks and balances in order to prevent any one branch of government from abusing its power.
"Congress has the power to declare war, regulate interstate commerce, undertake public works, regulate foreign commerce, approve treaties, and approve the appointment of executive branch officials and American ambassadors to foreign countries. (Lowi and Ginsberg 95) The House of Representatives and the Senate both play a role in these activities, and also debate and pass legislation that is then sent to the president to sign into law or veto. (Lowi and Ginsberg 107)"

Sample of Sources Used:

• Jones, Bill. British Politics Today. Washington D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Books, 1998.
• Lowi, Theodore and Ginsberg, Benjamin. American Government: Freedom and Power. New York: W. W. Norton, 2006.
• Trembley, Rita. "Parliamentary System." Online. Available: http://artsandscience. concordia.ca/poli201rt/lecture12_body.html. 19 July 2007.

More papers on Constitutional Government:

• Term Paper # 141271 : "Constitutional Rights and Employees"
• Essay # 46244 : "The Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment"
• Persuasive Essay # 135552 : "The Relationship of Corporations to Government"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: