Checks And Balances

Separation of Powers

Popular Sovereignty
Popular sovereignty is the principle that the authority of the government is created and sustained by the consent of its people, through their elected representatives who are the source of all political power. An Example of popular sovereignty in the United States government is people voting to elect a president. The most recent example of this is in the 2012 presidential election between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. Each citizen’s vote counts as 1 popular vote; popular vote decides which candidate wins that state’s electoral votes. Obama won this election in both, popular vote, and electoral vote. He received 332, or 51.1% of the electoral votes.

Judicial review is the doctrine under which legislative and executive actions are subject to review by the judiciary branch. A court with judicial review power may invalidate laws and decisions that are incompatible with a higher authority, such as the terms of a written constitution. Judicial review keeps the president and the congress in check, not letting them gain too much control of what is going on in the United States. It is constantly used to overrule laws in the United States that the Supreme Court deems unconstitutional.
Federalism
Federalism is the idea that the federal government has more power than any provinces or smaller legislative bodies within a country. In the United States the most apparent application of federalism is the ability of the federal government to override state laws. Federalism prevents disputes between states or organizations from getting out of hand and allows the government to enforce laws that in some places may be lifted or altered. A perfect example of this is the laws regarding medicinal and recreational marijuana use in the United States. States like Colorado and Oregon have legalized marijuana for recreational use. Other States like California have legalized it for medicinal use but on the federal level it is still illegal. The idea of federalism means that if the federal government chooses they have the ability to enforce laws in these states that say marijuana is still illegal.
Limited Government
Limited Government refers to the idea that the power of the federal government must be limited and cater to the needs of the people. Every government must have checks that keep them from gaining too much power. A perfect example of this is the United States Bill of Rights. The BIll of Rights ensures that citizens of the U.S. must all be given natural rights that help retain their liberty. Without limiting the power of the government, people's natural rights may be abused or even taken away.
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