Checks and Balances in the U.S. Government

This book focuses primarily on the president's role in government and the choices and considerations afforded by this position, such as the formation of a cabinet and the power to create executive orders. By illuminating both high and low points in this historic position, the reader gains a sense of the intricacies of this nation's system of checks and balances, and how differences in style have influenced the direction of history. By featuring the stories of the women and men surrounding the president, this book creates a well-rounded depiction of this branch of the U.S. government.

At first glance, Congress may appear to be the most intricate element of the U.S. government's system of checks and balances. It involves both the Senate and House of Representatives, both of which have completely different rules for formation, and can create crippling stalemates in the passage of bills and laws through the highest hands in government. Your readers will untangle the mysteries that shadow this branch, learning about the two houses of Congress individually, and exploring examples of their capabilities when working together, and in opposition.

While the Supreme Court is certainly a beacon of the judiciary system, it is not the only element in this branch of the U.S. government. In this text, the reader is immersed into the judicial branch at all levels, including state and circuit courts, courts of appeals, and their individual functions. By honing in on some of the pivotal cases tried by the judicial branch in the United States, such as Brown v. Board of Education and Roe v. Wade, this book establishes the worth and importance of judges, juries, and lawyers to our nation's past and present.

Putting the three branches into historical context is important for understanding them, but equally important is illuminating the testing ground for their formation and solidification as current rules and regulations. Governments are fluid entities, and even written documents can be amended and changed out of careful consideration, observation, and sometimes necessity. More closely than the rest of the books in this series, this text shines a light on previous, documented changes to the written record underpinning the U.S. government, the U.S. Constitution, and how they came to be made.