Whats about the basic of american politicians:
Now, in practice, each branch has at various times asserted its authority over the others. But most would agree that the Executive Branch has been far and away the most successful at expanding its powers beyond what was originally envisioned by the founders (mind you, I'm not saying whether this is a good or bad thing).
I think when you look at the historical circumstances of the drafting of the Constitution, it is easy to understand why these checks and balances were adopted. Following the successful rebellion against the British crown, the last thing most (though not all) Americans wanted was a concentration of too much power in a single, strong executive. They'd already rid themselves of a king--why replace him with another? Another factor (which persisted well into the 19th Century) was that most Americans identified themselves with their State first rather than the country as a whole; if you asked them where they were from, "I'm an American" would have been a much less likely answer than, say, "I'm a Virginian."
After the perceived failure of the first governing document of the United States, the Articles of Confederation, which created a weak Federal government with limited powers and no Chief Executive, it was replaced with the Constitution in 1789.
Now, in practice, each branch has at various times asserted its authority over the others. But most would agree that the Executive Branch has been far and away the most successful at expanding its powers beyond what was originally envisioned by the founders (mind you, I'm not saying whether this is a good or bad thing).
I think when you look at the historical circumstances of the drafting of the Constitution, it is easy to understand why these checks and balances were adopted. Following the successful rebellion against the British crown, the last thing most (though not all) Americans wanted was a concentration of too much power in a single, strong executive. They'd already rid themselves of a king--why replace him with another? Another factor (which persisted well into the 19th Century) was that most Americans identified themselves with their State first rather than the country as a whole; if you asked them where they were from, "I'm an American" would have been a much less likely answer than, say, "I'm a Virginian."
After the perceived failure of the first governing document of the United States, the Articles of Confederation, which created a weak Federal government with limited powers and no Chief Executive, it was replaced with the Constitution in 1789.
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