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