Separation of Powers: No Person Above the Law
- Rosie Jayde Uyola
- Oct 13, 2025
- 3 min read
Learning Target: I can explain how the principle of Separation of Powers prevents tyranny by identifying the distinct role of the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches.
Key Vocabulary
Tyranny: Cruel and oppressive government or rule; absolute power in the hands of one person or group.
Vest (Power): To officially give someone or something a particular power or right.
Separation of Powers: The idea of dividing government power into three distinct branches so no single branch becomes too powerful.
Legislative Branch: The part of government that MAKES the laws (Congress).
Executive Branch: The part of government that ENFORCES the laws (The President).
Judicial Branch: The part of government that INTERPRETS the laws (The Supreme Court).
Part 1: Let's Get Started (Do Now)
Directions: Imagine your school principal had the power to do all of the following:
In a complete paragraph (about 5-8 sentences), explain the problems that could arise from this situation. Consider the impact on students, teachers, and the idea of fairness. |
Sentence Starters to help you:
If the principal had all three powers, a major problem would be...
This could lead to a situation where the principal...
This would be unfair to students because...
Part 2: Defining the Branches (Source Analysis)
Your Task: Read the original texts and the simplified translations. Highlight the key power and the branch/person in charge in each constitutional excerpt.
Original Text | Simplified Text |
Source 2: Article I, Section 1 "All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives." | All the power to make laws is given to the Congress (the Senate and the House of Representatives). |
Source 3: Article II, Section 1 "The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America." | The power to enforce and carry out the laws is given to the President. |
Source 4: Article III, Section 1 "The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish." | The power to interpret and judge the laws is given to the Supreme Court and other lower courts. |
Part 3: Separation of Powers Scenario Game
Directions: For each government action below, decide which branch of government is officially VESTED (given) that power according to the U.S. Constitution. Write L (Legislative), E (Executive), or J (Judicial) in the blank. |
Action | Branch (L, E, or J) |
1. Declares war on a foreign country. | |
2. Appoints a new judge to the Supreme Court. | |
3. Creates a new law to increase the federal minimum wage. | |
4. Decides if a law passed by Congress is unconstitutional. | |
5. Commands the U.S. armed forces (Commander-in-Chief). | |
6. Negotiates and signs a treaty with another nation. | |
7. Votes to impeach (formally charge) a government official. | |
8. Oversees the work of the FBI, CIA, and other federal agencies. | |
9. Ratifies (approves) treaties signed by the President. | |
10. Settles a dispute between two different states. |
Part 4: Exit Ticket (Summary)
Directions: At the start of class, you wrote about the dangers of one person having all the power. Write a short response (at least 5 sentences) explaining how the Constitution's 'Separation of Powers' is the government's solution to that exact problem. Be sure to name the three branches and explain the specific job each one is given to prevent tyranny. |
Sentence Starters & Paragraph Frame:
The problem of one person having too much power is solved by the principle of Separation of Powers.
This principle divides the power of the government into three branches:
The (Name Branch 1) is responsible for (Main Job).
By dividing the power this way, the framers made sure that no one person or group could become a tyrant.
