We must understand the division of power to be able to hold our governments accountable for their actions. Separate Institutions . Sometimes this principle is referred to as separation of powers and checks and balances, but it is better described as separate institutions competing for shared powers. Again the arrangement of separating the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the national and state governments prevents any one branch from wielding total power. We need to acquire the knowledge and skills to follow public issues through the labyrinth of the political process.
Constitutionalism is America's hedge on democracy.
We create government to serve the will of a majority, but we place limits on what a majority can have the government do. We do not believe that bare majoritarianism should always rule, so we establish minority rights to limit the power of government. Terms of Political Discourse Self-governance requires people to search for solutions to public problems. An intelligent search involves learning where to acquire pertinent information, recognition of important persons, concentrated thought, and serious deliberation. You should learn to use the following terms in mature political discourse.