CONGRESSIONAL POWERS

HOW HAVE THE POWERS OF CONGRESS CHANGED TIME?

• The executive branch has changed greatly since adoption of the Constitution.
• This is mainly because of the amendments. An amendment is a change to the constitution agreed by at least three fourths of the states.

3. Many constitutional amendments have affected the powers of the executive branch or the way the president and Vice President are elected.
4. The tenth amendment specifies that powers not expressly delegated to Congress or the other branches, and not prohibited by the Constitution, are reserved to the states or to the people.

5. Congress was appointed to help oversee the budget with a Committee
6. It is monitored by other branches and they have a system of checks and balances.

Separation of Power
The Separation of Powers devised by the framers of the Constitution was designed to do one primary thing: to prevent the majority from ruling with an iron fist. Three branches are created in the Constitution. The Legislative, composed of the House and Senate, is set up in Article 1. The Executive, composed of the President, Vice-President, and the Departments, is set up in Article 2. The Judicial, composed of the federal courts and the Supreme Court, is set up in Article 3.

Limitations
Each of these branches has certain powers, and each of these powers is limited, or checked, by another branch.The Congress can pass a law, but the President can veto it. The Supreme Court can rule a law to be unconstitutional, but the Congress, with the States, can amend the Constitution.