Branches of Government Paper

Branches of Government Paper

University of Phoenix

U.S. Constitution

HIS/301

April 18, 2011

Branches of Government Paper

As our learning team looks into the different branches of government, Learning Team A will explain what were the reason Americas forefathers divided the government and the legislative, judicial, and the presidential branches, and how does this benefit the three branches. Learning Team A will then explain the obstacles the division of power present to enactment of important legislation. Finally, we will look at how the conflicts between supporters of a strong federal government and champions of states’ rights characterized as oppose to now.

America’s Forefathers

At the time of the drafting of the Constitution, the founders were conflicted about how to solve the problem of a weak central government. Although both the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists had completely different beliefs and perspectives on the problems at hand, they all had the common goal of ensuring the government would be protected against any faction having the ability to become overpowered by another.

The framers feared tyranny and understood there must be a separation of powers to make any progress to combat this possibility. This is why the founders essentially invented the three branches of government that include the legislative, executive, and, judicial branches.

The three branches of government including the legislative, executive, and judicial are limited in their power, overlap in some areas but definitely limit and separate power among the branches. If one branch oversteps the boundaries set by the Constitution, the other branches would step in and pronounce the act unconstitutional (Patterson, 2009).

Through the concept of checks and balances the government is both limited and empowered. The rights of individuals are respected through laws enacted by the legislative branch and their ability to set up the court systems...