Discussion: The U.S. Constitution

Prepare: Prior to writing your initial post, read Chapters 1 and 2 of American Government and review the Week One Instructor Guidance.

Reflect: The U.S. Constitution is the cornerstone of our federal government. The Constitution establishes a basic operational framework that enables the three branches of government - executive, legislative, and judicial - to interact and function as a unit. Embedded in this operational framework are two key principles: separation of powers and a system of checks and balances. Think about how these branches interact and the importance of these checks and balances and separation of powers.

Write: In your initial post, explain why the separation of powers and the system of checks and balances are important for our democracy. Provide recent, real-world examples of the separation of powers and checks/balances in action (one example each). Also, discuss how the Constitution protects individual and group rights. Again, provide a recent real-world example of these Constitutional protections being applied here in the U.S.

Fully respond to all parts of the prompt and write your response in your own words. Your initial post must be at least 300 words. Support your position with at least two of the assigned resources required for this discussion, and/or peer reviewed scholarly sources obtained through the AU Library databases. Include APA in-text citations (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. in the body of your post and references at the end. Support your position with APA citations (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. from two or more of the assigned resources required for this discussion. Please be sure that you demonstrate understanding of these resources, integrate them into your argument, and cite them properly.