Grade 6 · Social Studies · Lesson 26

Separation of powers

Most modern democracies split the work of government into three separate branches. The point of splitting power is simple: no single person or group should be able to make a law, enforce it, AND judge whether it is fair, all at once. By spreading power across three branches, each one can check the others and protect citizens from abuse of power. This idea is called the separation of powers.

What this lesson teaches

1Identify the three branches of government and describe the role of each
2Explain how checks and balances limit the power of each branch
3Compare the US presidential system with a parliamentary system such as the UK
4Match real government roles to the correct branch of government

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