separation of powers
Branches check branches
Separation of powers is the constitutional principle that divides governmental authority among distinct branches—typically legislative, executive, and judicial—to prevent any single entity from accumulating too much control.
Each branch has defined responsibilities and can check the others' actions.
The concept, central to the U.S.
Constitution and many democratic systems, aims to protect against tyranny through institutional balance.
The separation of powers ensures that no branch can act unchecked.
- constitutionInherent physical or structural makeup
- federalismDivided governmental authority system
- constitutionalismGovernance bound by fundamental laws
- sovereigntySupreme independent authority
autonomy · jurisprudence · codification · precedent · Locke · Madison · Federalist Papers · charter
Concerning the creation of laws
- executiveSenior organizational leader
- judicialOf courts and judges
- tripartiteConsisting of three parts
- parliamentNational legislative assembly
president · courts · bicameralism · senate · assembly · cabinet · magistrates · tribunal
Official refusal to approve
- judicial reviewCourts invalidating unconstitutional acts
- impeachmentCharging officials with misconduct
- overrideCancel by authority
- filibusterDelaying tactic through speech
confirmation · ratification · subpoena · censure · oversight · injunction · accountability · investigation
State of balance
- counterbalanceOffsetting force or weight
- independenceFreedom from external control
- coequalHaving identical rank
- power sharingDistributing authority among groups
Montesquieu
- constitutionInherent physical or structural makeup
- federalismDivided governmental authority system
- constitutionalismGovernance bound by fundamental laws
sovereignty · autonomy · jurisprudence · codification · precedent · Locke · Madison · Federalist Papers · charter · entrenchment
legislative
Concerning the creation of laws
- executiveSenior organizational leader
- judicialOf courts and judges
- tripartiteConsisting of three parts
parliament · president · courts · bicameralism · senate · assembly · cabinet · magistrates · tribunal · legislature
veto
Official refusal to approve
- judicial reviewCourts invalidating unconstitutional acts
- impeachmentCharging officials with misconduct
- overrideCancel by authority
filibuster · confirmation · ratification · subpoena · censure · oversight · injunction · accountability · investigation · consent
equilibrium
State of balance
- counterbalanceOffsetting force or weight
- independenceFreedom from external control
- coequalHaving identical rank
- Early RepublicGeorge Washington, Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Constitutional Convention
- Swiss politicsdirect democracy, cantons, referendums, initiatives, popular vote
- civicsballot, election, ballots, Bill of Rights, branches of government
- governancegovernance, government, democracy, vote, parliament
- governmentgovernment, ministries, legislature, judiciary, executive branch
- lawlaw, lawyer, lawyers, attorney, attorneys
separation of powersautocracy
Rule by one
absolutism · dictatorship · tyranny · despotism · totalitarianism
separation of powerskangaroo court
Illegitimate proceeding ignoring procedure
separate, separated, separation, separating, powers, separately, inseparable, separations, inseparably