How do the three branches of the US government limit each others powers quizlet?

The framers of the U.S. Constitution had a shared goal: create a government with a set system of checks and balances. This way, no single political party, office, individual, or group could hold all the power at the federal, state, or local level. To ensure this balance, they created three separate branches of government:

  • Legislative – Creates laws
  • Executive – Implements and enforces laws
  • Judicial – Assesses and interprets laws

These three branches exist at every level of our country’s government — federal, state and local. Here’s a quick overview of how it works in Georgia’s state government.

Legislative

The Georgia General Assembly is made up of the Georgia Senate and the Georgia House of Representatives. It is in charge of creating, debating and determining the laws that guide our state. The Georgia General Assembly also has the power to:

  • Determine the state’s operating budget.
  • Consider proposed amendments to the Georgia Constitution. If both chambers pass  a proposal with two-thirds of members giving it a “yea” (yes) vote, the question will be put to Georgia voters in an upcoming election.
  • Establish legislative districts. Every 10 years, the General Assembly uses population data from the U.S. Census to draw district boundaries for the state House, state Senate, and U.S. House.

At the local level, legislative decisions are handled by your city council, county board of commissioners, board of supervisors, and board of trustees.

To learn more about the Legislative Branch, read Article 3 of the State of Georgia Constitution.

Executive

Georgia’s main executive official and head of state is the governor. Elected to a 4-year term by Georgia voters, the governor isn’t allowed to hold office more than 2 consecutive terms. Along with overseeing the state budget and leading an executive branch of more than 100,000 employees, the governor is in charge of:

  • Enforcing laws and maintaining peace
  • Leading our state’s National Guard and police forces as commander in chief
  • Vetoing, approving, or taking no action on legislation passed by the Georgia General Assembly
  • Filling unexpected vacancies in the Senate, House of Representatives, and other public offices
  • Convening special sessions of the Georgia Assembly
  • Nominating officials to positions in state government (these must be approved by the Georgia General Assembly)

The other elected members of the executive branch include: 

  • Lieutenant governor 
  • Secretary of state 
  • Attorney general
  • State school superintendent
  • The commissioners of agriculture, insurance, and labor

This is only an overview of the different roles and services managed by the executive branch, which also includes various agencies, boards, and commissions.

To learn more about the Executive Branch, read Article 5 of the State of Georgia Constitution.

Judicial

Georgia’s judicial branch interprets our state laws and administers justice through our legal system. Our judicial system has two appellate-level courts: the Supreme Court of Georgia and the Court of Appeals of Georgia. It also has five classes of trial-level courts: the superior, state, probate, juvenile, and magistrate courts.

Georgia’s Judicial System is overseen by the Judicial Council. Its job is to develop policies for administering and improving our state courts. The Council is staffed by the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) and is led by the chief justice (chairperson) and the presiding justice (vice chairperson) of our state’s Supreme Court. 

To learn more about the Executive Branch, read Article 6 of the State of Georgia Constitution.

The role of the executive branch is to enforce the nation’s laws. The executive branch is led by the president, who is the commander in chief of the military and responsible for signing or vetoing laws presented to them by Congress. The executive branch also includes the vice president, who is the president of the Senate and will take over if the president cannot perform his duties, as well as the Cabinet, who are advisors to the president. The enforcement of laws in the executive branch is often performed by various federal agencies and departments.       

The website for the Office of the President of the United States contains a great deal of information on the current executives.

A White House publication on the executive branch includes information on the responsibilities of the president and vice president, the role of the Cabinet, and descriptions of the executive departments.

The American Presidency Project, hosted at the University of California, Santa Barbara, includes presidential papers, addresses, speeches, and more.

The Federal Register provides a database that contains information on presidential documents, including executive orders, proclamations, and other items.

How did the three branches of the US government limit each other's powers?

Within the separation of powers, each of the three branches of government has “checks and balances” over the other two. For instance, Congress makes the laws, but the President can veto them and the Supreme Court can declare them unconstitutional.

What allows multiple branches of government to limit each other's power?

Each branch of government has the ability to restrict powers of the other branches in a system that is known as checks and balances. Some of these checks and balances include: The president is the commander in chief of the military, but only Congress can fund the military and declare war.

How does Congress check or limit the power of the other branches of government quizlet?

Congress can override a veto by a two-thirds vote of each chamber. Federal courts may declare executive branch actions unconstitutional. Federal courts can declare laws passed by Congress unconstitutional. Congress can revise the law, write a new one, or propose amendments changes) to the U.S. Constitution.