What is the separation of powers and how has it been criticized
The separation of powers is a theory of government whereby political power is distributed
among three branches of government- the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. The
three branches act both independently and interdependently. This theory has been criticised
for
a
number
of
reasons.
Firstly, it can place the executive in a position of gridlock when trying to pass legislation. Since,
due to the separation of powers, the president is not drawn from the legislature, the
president’s party may not have a majority in the legislature. This means that disputes between
the Republicans and Democrats can result in the president not being able to pass through
legislation, which results in gridlock, and can even cause a government shut down. This
occurred in 2013 in which the two main parties disagreed on the way the country’s funding
should be spent and obamacare which caused a government shutdown. This is a major problem
as it prevents the government from carrying out their manifesto and improving the country.
Also, due to the ambiguity of the US constitution, much interpretation is needed. As a result,
there is the possibility that the three branches may have completely different interpretations
because each branch would want to interpret in the constitution in a way that benefits their
particular branch. This can lead to much conflict between the three branches.
Finally, disagreement between branches gives more power to pressure groups. This is because
the separation of powers means that there isn’t usually a party with an overall majority in the
legislature so congress is often divided on issues. Pressure groups therefore have a greater
influence on political issues as they often influence the way House and Senate members vote
by contacting them directly or having strong campaigns.