Example A: checks and balances; Example B: separation of powers
Explanation:
The Founding Fathers were afraid of a government with too much power, which it feared could take away people's basic rights. They believed in creating a limited and constitutional government. Therefore, the U.S. Constitution divides the powers of government into three separate branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. We call this the separation of powers. Some of the powers of each branch were designed to limit, or "check," the overall power of the other branches. The purpose of these checks is to balance the branches of government so that no one branch could become too powerful. Example A is an example of checks and balances at work. The U.S. Supreme court (judicial branch) checked the power of the U.S. Congress (legislative branch) by declaring a law that they made unconstitutional. Example B shows separation of powers. The U.S. Congress (legislative branch) passed a law and the Internal Revenue Service (executive branch) enforces it. This is an example of how the U.S. Constitution divides the powers of government into three separate branches.
