Prepare: Prior to beginning your reflection, review all course readings and videos as required.

Reflect: The U.S. national government is based on the framework detailed in the U.S. Constitution. The process that the Founding Fathers used to map out our national government is fascinating and illuminating. The Constitution creates a system of checks and balances and separation of powers that have been focal points for class discussions.

In addition, the Constitution identifies three main branches for the national government: the legislative, executive, and judicial, which are tasked, respectively, with the creation of the legislation to guide the country, the implementation and execution of that legislation, and the review of that legislation for constitutionality and legality. Interacting with the federal government includes a variety of different actors and political processes such as the states, political parties, interest groups, and federal elections. All these features create a vibrant and healthy democracy.

Write: In your initial post of at least 200 to 250 words, explain how and why one feature of the U.S. government is the most important for America's democracy. Choose one feature below to discuss in detail:

Written, detailed, flexible Constitution.

Robust checks and balances.

Explicit separation of powers.

Expansive interaction by different political actors and processes with the federal government.

Use real-world examples and details to support your arguments. Support your position with APA citations 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.