Question

some opponents of the constitution worried that separating powers would not be enough to prevent one branch from dominating the others. to address these concerns, the writers of the federalist papers describe another way the constitution structures the new government. read the passage. then answer the question below. federalist no. 51 but the great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department, consists in giving to those who administer each department the necessary constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachments of the others. the provision for defense must in this, as in all other cases, be made commensurate to the danger of attack. ambition must be made to counteract ambition. encroachments: interferences commensurate: equal based on the passage, how does the structure of the federal government limit the power of its branches? the branches are given the power to check, or resist, one another. the people can vote to overturn actions taken by any branch. all three branches must agree in order to implement any major government action. the executive branch has the final say over all actions taken by the other branches.

Explanation:

The passage from Federalist No. 51 emphasizes giving each department the means and motives to resist encroachments from others, which is the concept of checks - and - balances. The people do not directly vote to overturn branch actions as described. It is not required for all three branches to always agree for major actions, and the executive does not have the final say over other branches. Checks - and - balances gives branches power to check one another.

Answer:

The branches are given the power to check, or resist, one another.