It’s what one historian calls an “elaborate, clunky machine,” one that’s been fundamental to American democracy for more than two centuries.
The principle of “checks and balances” is rooted in the Constitution’s design of a national government with three distinct, coequal branches.
President Donald Trump in his first 100 days tested that system like rarely before, signing dozens of executive orders, closing or sharply reducing government agencies funded by Congress, and denigrating judges who have issued dozens of rulings against him.
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