Meaning of checks and balances | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A system for multiple branches of government wherein each has some control over the actions of each of the others.
   plural, plural-only
2. Somebody or something that ensures a system remains safe, honest, etc.
   figuratively, plural, plural-only

Equivalents

Examples

“The Constitution deliberately makes the President and the Congress competitors as well as partners. The Founding Fathers created an elaborate system of checks and balances to keep⟳ each partner self-reliant while still assuring their interdependence. No brief account can fully capture⟳ the complexity of this relationship, in which each partner contributes his own⟳ share⟳ of stubbornness, pride, hostility, warmth, suspicion, skill, and affection.”

CEFR level