CHECKS AND BALANCES

Dwi Indah Kartika

LOOK AT THE PICTURE !!!
Look at the pictures in the next slides and discuss these
questions:
1. What branch of the government does each building
represent?
2. What are the duties of executive branch?
3. What are the duties of legislative branch?
4. What are the duties of judicial branch?
5. Does each branch has its own duties?
6. Do they work together?
7. Compare your answer with your country.
3 BRANCHES OF POWER
3 BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT
Answer these questions!
1. There are …. branches of government.
2. President is the leader of the country.
3. The President and V.P. are part of the …. Branch.
4. The House and Senate together are called ….
5. One title of nobility is ….
6. The head of the Department of State is called …. of State.
7. Changes to the Constitution are called …
8. The Army, ….. , and Air Force are part of the military.
9. The lowest federal courts are …. Courts.
10. A plan or idea for a law is a ….
11. The Senate must ….. Treaties.
12. If Congress passes a bill and the President signs it, the bill
becomes ….
13. An …. Court reviews cases from lower courts.
14. Congress cannot give title of ….
15. During a ….. The candidates makes many speeches.
16. Every four years there is an ……… for President and V.P.
17. The highest court in the U.S. is the ….. Court.
READING: Checks and Balances
The U.S. Constitution establishes three
branches for the federal government: executive,
legislative, and judicial. The three branches
work together to help the country. Each branch
has its own responsibilities and powers. No
branch has more power than the other branches.
They have balanced powers. Each branch has
separate duties to check the powers of the other
branches.
Using the Reading
A. Answer these questions:
1. Does one branch have more power than the other
branches?
2. Do all three branches share many duties?
3. Will the President have more power than the courts
in the future?
4. Do they have imbalanced powers?
5. Don’t they separate duties to check the powers of the
other branches?
Fill in the blanks
1. Congress can …… the laws, but the President can …
them.
2. The Supreme Court can say a law is …
3. The President …. Judges and the Senate must …. the
appointment.
4. The legislative branch checks the executive and
judicial branches because it can …… the President
or a judge from office.
Form a small group. Discuss these questions with the group.
1. Do you think checks and balances are important?
Why or why not?
2. Does the government of your country have checks
and balances?
3. What would happen in the R.I. if we did not have
checks and balances?
TESTING SKILLS
Read (or listen to) the following conversation.

INTERVIEWER : what are the checks and balances?

MR. PEREZ : Checks and balances tell us about the powers of
the federal government … the three branches
INTERVIEWER : How do the three branches check and balance
each other?
MR. PEREZ : Let me think….the executive checks the
legislative.
INTERVIEWER : How?
MR. PEREZ : Well… Congress can pass a bill, but the
President can…can…
INTERVIEWER : Can what?
MR. PEREZ : Say no… say no … I mean the President can veto
the bill.
Mr. Perez does not answer immediately. What words does he use to get more