III Branches
The founding fathers designed the Constitution with three branches of government. They were created because at that time the fear of a tyranny still existed. To prevent the abuse of power the separation of powers were created. They are known as the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branch. The separation of powers has a system of checks and balances which each branch checks each other so not one gets to powerful than the other. Of the three branches, the Legislative branch retains its preeminent position. The Legislative branch has the power to impeach the president and remove him or her from office, veto a bill or law, and be able to override that veto, and they also have the power of the purse.
Removing an official from office is a two stop process. A formal accusation, or impeachment, by the House of Representatives and a trial and conviction by the senate. Since the creation of the Constitution there has only been two presidents who have been impeachment. Andrew Johnson the seventeenth chief executive, and William J. Clinton the forty-second. Andrew Johnson proved the the legislative branch is powerful because of the actions he took. He vetoed the Civil rights bill and opposed the fourteenth amendment. He had lack of concern for ex-slaves and congress impeached Johnston, and to weaken the presidency, congress immediately passed a bill which prohibited the president from dismissing office holders without the Senate’s approval. The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.
Congress also holds the Power of the Purse. This basically means that not one dime cant be spent from the federal treasury without congress approval. Congress can and will if needed, stop the president from doing anything he or she has the legal right to do by not funding his engagements. For example, the President is the Commander in Chief and has legal rights to send troop under the War Powers Act, but in order for the military to survive and be well fitted it must be funded. The power of the Purse is very important in this nation because federal spending is in the life of every American citizen. It is used to to fund the Military, build roads, highways, schools and much more.
As the governing body with four hundred thirty five members, congress is the strongest branch, a bicameral legislature that consist of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House has the power to initiate revenue bills, impeach federal officials, and elect the President in the case of an Electoral College tie, and the Senate maintains executive and judicial powers and has the sole power to confirm those of the President’s appointments that require consent, and to ratify treaties.
In Artile 1, section 8 of the Constitution it list emunerated powers soley given to Congress. There is also a clause that permits Congress to “make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers.” The article gives conress sole authroity to enact legislature and declare war, the right to cofirm or reject Presidencial appointments, and substancial investigative powers.
Congress is also very close to the people. The founding fathers had feared that one man could develope as president. Hence, Congress was found as a counter-balance tp the president. However, they were alos fearful that democracy at a mass level could lead to chaos if everybody was listened to and nothing got done. As a result of this, they founded a two-tier bicarmal legislature. The house of Representatives is most attentive at what the poeple. Some laws are submitted by the people, for the people. Congress makes laws while the executive branch would implement the lawz and the judicial branch would interpret them. If a president veto’s a bill Congress has the pwoer with a two-third vote to override that veto. In 2007, President Bush suffered his first veto override. The bill funded hundreds of Army Corps of Engineers projects, such as dams, sewage plants and beach restoration, that are important to local communities and their representatives.
The founding fathers designed the Constitution with three branches of government. They were created because at that time the fear of a tyranny still existed. To prevent the abuse of power the separation of powers were created. They are known as the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branch. Of the three branches the legislative branch retains preeminent of being the most powerful branch of the U.S. Government.
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“The Legislative Branch | The White House.” The White House. http://www.whitehouse.gov/our-government/legislative-branch (accessed January 23, 2012).
Daily Operations of the Legislative Branch.” Checks and Balances: The Three Branches of the American Government. Ed. Lawrence W. Baker and Daniel E. Brannen, Jr. Vol. 2: Legislative. Detroit: UXL, 2005. 283-307. Gale U.S. History In Context. Web. 17 Jan. 2012.
Crockett, David A. “bicameral legislature.” In Genovese, Michael A., and Lori Cox Han. Encyclopedia of American Government and Civics. New York: Facts On File: 2008. U.S. Government Online. Facts On File, Inc. January 19, 2012