legislative power and sharing
Answers
In this activity, students will identify and draw conclusions about the relationship between the legislative, executive and judicial branches by critically analyzing primary sources. Using the scale, they will decide whether the United States government more appropriately fits the concept of "separation of powers" or "shared powers." They will formulate an opinion about each document and place it on the scale accordingly, and support their opinions with specific evidence from the primary sources.
For example, the President's ability to pardon without oversight is an example of separation of powers, while the law making power of Congress is shared with both the executive (through signing and vetoing legislation) and judicial branches (through declaring laws unconstitutional).