"TO WHAT expedient, then, shall we finally resort, for maintaining in practice the necessary partition of power among the several departments, as laid down in the Constitution? The only answer that can be given is, that as all these exterior provisions are found to be inadequate, the defect must be supplied, by so contriving the interior structure of the government as that its several constituent parts may, by their mutual relations, be the means of keeping each other in their proper places."
Use the passage to answer the question.
What is the main purpose of this excerpt from The Federalist No. 51, and which of the following best illustrates it?
A.
to outline the powers of the executive branch; the president signs a treaty
B.
to outline the powers of the legislative branch; Congress changes the date of an election
C.
to outline the system of checks and balances among the three branches; the Supreme Court declares a law unconstitutional
D.
to outline the system of checks and balances among the three branches; the president announces that he will run for a third term
The main purpose of this excerpt from The Federalist No. 51 is to outline the system of checks and balances among the three branches of government. Among the given options, option C best illustrates this purpose as it describes the Supreme Court declaring a law unconstitutional, which is an example of the judicial branch checking the power of the legislative branch.
The main purpose of this excerpt from The Federalist No. 51 is to outline the system of checks and balances among the three branches of government. The best illustration of this purpose is option C: "to outline the system of checks and balances among the three branches; the Supreme Court declares a law unconstitutional." This option demonstrates how one branch of government, the judiciary (Supreme Court), exercises its power to check the actions of another branch, the legislative branch, by declaring a law unconstitutional.
The main purpose of this excerpt from The Federalist No. 51 is to outline the system of checks and balances among the three branches of government. The passage emphasizes the importance of maintaining the necessary partition of power among the several departments, as laid down in the Constitution. It suggests that the interior structure of the government must be contrived in such a way that the various constituent parts can keep each other in their proper places through their mutual relations.
Among the given options, the best illustration of this purpose is option C, which describes the Supreme Court declaring a law unconstitutional. This action showcases the system of checks and balances, as the judicial branch is able to review and determine the constitutionality of laws passed by the legislative branch.