Why study the separation of powers?
American Government lays the foundations for how we, as Americans, live our day-to-day lives. What would our lives be like if our government didn’t allow us to be free? How do we know that we are free in the first place or how the government can help us if we are in trouble? The Constitution is the document that our government uses to determine all of this, and in it, the Framers identified three specific branches that should exist in American Government: The Executive Branch, Judicial Branch, and Legislative Branch. Additionally, the Framers identified specific powers (enumerated and implied) that each branch should hold and be accountable for., AKA the Separation of Powers. These ideas came directly as a response to the Revolutionary War with England and Enlightenment thinkers.
So why study it? There are endless reasons to study the Separation of Powers! First of all, knowing what each branch of government is responsible for has implications beyond passing American Government as a graduation requirement. This knowledge will lay the foundation for one to become an informed, contributing member of society! Additionally, knowing the government’s powers and its limitations helps protect you! It is your responsibility as a citizen of this country to be the government’s watchdog and make sure they are not overstepping their bounds to infringe upon your freedoms or powers of the other branches. A branch that does this is well on its way to becoming a singular source of power in this government, such as a dictatorship – something that our founding fathers would not be pleased with and history has shown rarely works. How will you know the a branch of the government is overstepping its bounds if you don’t know its powers in the first place? This is why it is so imperative to learn about!
Turn on your TV – almost every night the news addresses hot issues in government. Ebola, Immigration, Health Care – you name it! The topics addressed in this unit will help you to be able to decipher the nightly news. All of a sudden, you will know that laws the nightly news is discussing originated in Congress, that Obama is pushing the boundaries as President with his Executive Order on Immigration, and that same-sex marriage might have to be decided by the Supreme Court after all! Do you have an opinion about any of these issues? Do any of these issues upset you? You’ll know whether to get into contact with your congressman, sue someone, or attempt to write the President of the United States. The Separation of Powers is all around you; you must only open your eyes and ears!
So why study it? There are endless reasons to study the Separation of Powers! First of all, knowing what each branch of government is responsible for has implications beyond passing American Government as a graduation requirement. This knowledge will lay the foundation for one to become an informed, contributing member of society! Additionally, knowing the government’s powers and its limitations helps protect you! It is your responsibility as a citizen of this country to be the government’s watchdog and make sure they are not overstepping their bounds to infringe upon your freedoms or powers of the other branches. A branch that does this is well on its way to becoming a singular source of power in this government, such as a dictatorship – something that our founding fathers would not be pleased with and history has shown rarely works. How will you know the a branch of the government is overstepping its bounds if you don’t know its powers in the first place? This is why it is so imperative to learn about!
Turn on your TV – almost every night the news addresses hot issues in government. Ebola, Immigration, Health Care – you name it! The topics addressed in this unit will help you to be able to decipher the nightly news. All of a sudden, you will know that laws the nightly news is discussing originated in Congress, that Obama is pushing the boundaries as President with his Executive Order on Immigration, and that same-sex marriage might have to be decided by the Supreme Court after all! Do you have an opinion about any of these issues? Do any of these issues upset you? You’ll know whether to get into contact with your congressman, sue someone, or attempt to write the President of the United States. The Separation of Powers is all around you; you must only open your eyes and ears!