What does the system of checks and balances ensure?

The system of checks and balances is fundamentally designed to prevent any one branch of government—executive, legislative, or judicial—from accumulating excessive power. This framework establishes a series of restrictions and responsibilities that each branch has in relation to the others. For instance, the legislative branch can make laws, but the executive branch has the authority to veto those laws, while the judicial branch can rule laws unconstitutional. By instituting this system, the framers of the Constitution aimed to maintain a balance of power, ensuring that decisions are made collaboratively and that individual freedoms are safeguarded against tyranny or overreach.

Although control by Congress over the Executive Branch, the dominance of the President, or the efficiency of law passage may be aspects considered in governance, they do not capture the essence of the checks and balances. The primary purpose of this system is to promote accountability and prevent any single entity within the government from becoming too powerful.