Name ____________________________ Class _________________ Date ___________________
The United States Constitution
Section 2
MAIN IDEA
The Constitution prevents any person or part of the government from taking
too much power. It does this by creating three separate branches in the
federal government. The power of the federal government is distributed
among the three branches.
Key Terms
the separate powers that are divided among the three
branches of the federal government
separation of powers
the Congress, which makes laws and is the part of the federal
government made up of elected representatives of the people of each state
legislative branch
the president, vice president, and the cabinet, as well as agency
and department heads; the executive branch carries out laws
executive branch
the federal courts that interpret the meaning of the laws passed by
Congress and determine if they follow the Constitution
judicial branch
the system set up by the Framers to give each branch of the
federal government the power to limit the actions, or power, of other branches
checks and balances
veto
the power of the president to reject, or not sign, a law passed by Congress
the power of the courts to review the acts of other branches of
government and decide if they have acted correctly and according to the
Constitution
judicial review
Section Summary
SEPARATION OF POWERS
The Framers were certain that any government that
had too much power would become a “tyranny.”
They were determined not to give too much power to
any one part of the government. So they created a
federal government that had three parts. Each part
would have its own distinct powers. This is called
separation of powers. It makes sure that each
branch of government has limited power.
How did the Framers
prevent tyranny from
arising in the government?
_______________________
_______________________
THE THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT
The legislative branch of the federal government is
the Congress, which makes the laws. Congress also
controls the way government spends money.
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Guided Reading Workbook
Name ____________________________ Class _________________ Date ___________________
Section 2, continued
The executive branch of the federal government
carries out, or executes, the laws passed by
Congress. The president is the head of the executive
branch. The vice president, heads of departments,
and agencies are also part of the executive branch.
The judicial branch of government includes the
federal courts, which interpret the meaning of the
laws passed by Congress. The Supreme Court is the
highest court in the land. It determines if laws
follow the Constitution.
CHECKS AND BALANCES
Each branch of government has the ability to limit
the power of the other two branches. This is the
principle of checks and balances.
The president can check the power of Congress
with a veto. A veto rejects a law when the president
refuses to sign it. Congress can check the president
by overriding the veto. If enough members of
Congress vote for the law, the president’s veto is
rejected and the law passes. The judicial branch can
check both the executive and legislative branches
by reviewing the laws that are passed.
The judicial branch can strike down any law that
does not follow the Constitution. Judicial review is
the principle that gives the Supreme Court the
power to determine if laws and acts of the president
follow the Constitution.
Who can use a veto to
reject a law passed by
Congress?
_______________________
_______________________
CHALLENGE ACTIVITY
Critical Thinking: Flow Chart Draw a chart that
shows how checks and balances may affect a law
that is passed by Congress.
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Guided Reading Workbook
Name ____________________________ Class _________________ Date ___________________
Section 2, continued
legislative branch
veto
judicial branch
checks and balances
executive branch
separation of powers
judicial review
DIRECTIONS Read each sentence and fill in the blank with the term
from the word bank that best completes the sentence.
1. The Framers created a _________________ by setting up three branches of
government, with each having its own unique role.
2. The president can use a _________________ to reject a law passed by Congress.
3. The vice president is the second most powerful person in the
_________________ of the federal government.
4. The Supreme Court has the power of _________________ to interpret laws and
determine if they follow the Constitution.
5. Congress makes up the _________________ of the federal government, which
makes laws.
6. The Constitution sets up a system of _________________ in which each branch
of the federal government is able to limit the power of the other branches.
7. Federal courts are all part of the _________________ of the government.
Original content © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
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Guided Reading Workbook