The Legislative
The Executive
The Judiciary
Checks and Balances
Required Cases
100
The number of representatives each state gets in the house of Representatives is determined by this process, once every ten years.
What is the apportionment?
100
This formal power of the president is typically used towards the end of the presidents term to avoid political blowback. Though there is no formal check on the power.
What is the pardon power?
100
In 1935, FDR planned to pack the Supreme Court with as many judges as he could that would support his "New Deal" Plans. To do so, he needed this branch's support as it is their constitutional power to lower courts and the size of the Supreme Court.
What is Congress?
100
The only branch of government that cannot be checked by an election.
What is the Judicial Branch?
100
This court case established the Supreme Court's informal power of judicial review.
What is Marbury v. Madison?
200
The constitutional reason Franklin Roosevelt reported to Congress on December 8, 1941, that Japan had attacked America.
What is Congress' power to declare war?
200
This formal power of the president allows them a hand in the legislative process but can be overturned by a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress.
What is the veto?
200
This Federalist paper set forth the rationale behind an independent judiciary.
What is Federalist #78?
200
The Internal Revenue Service saw its budget cut by Congress in 2018. This is an example of this significant power than Congress wields in the system of checks and balances
What is the power of the purse?
200
In this case, the Court struck down racially-based gerrymandering.
What is Shaw v. Reno?
300
In 1919 America did not ratify the Treaty of Versailles because of a vote in this chamber of Congress.
What is the Senate?
300
In 1942, after the bombing at Pearl Harbor, Franklin Roosevelt used this implied power to establish relocation centers and detail American citizens.
What is an executive order?
300
Latin for "let the decision stand" this concept guides the judiciary to rely heavily on precedents.
What is stare decisis?
300
Not to be confused with furniture lovers, these heads of executive departments may act as an informal check on the President when they act independetly of the President's wishes. 
What are cabinet heads?
300
In this case, the Court ruled, "one person one vote."
What is Baker v. Carr?
400
In 2013, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) spoke for 21 hours and 19 minutes in opposition to the Affordable Care Act, delaying the vote, per this Senate rules
What is the filibuster (or unlimited debate)?
400
In 1913, Woodrow Wilson began the modern tradition by which presidents use this annual message as a tool for agenda-setting.
What is the State of the Union address?
400
Much like a president, a judge can be removed through this constitutional process.
What is impeachment?
400
This Cognressional resolution sought to limit the war powers of the president, though has had little success.
What is the War Powers Resolution?
400
The ruling in this case held that Congress' could not use the interstate commerce clause to ban guns in schools in the Gun Free School Act of 1990.
What is U.S. v. Lopez?
500
The formal motion used to end or limit debate in the Senate.
What is cloture?
500
The justification for a single executive was outlined in this Federalist Paper.
What is Federalist #70?
500
Cases like Brown v. Board of Education and Citizens United v. SEC are examples of this form of judicial decision making.
What is judicial activism?
500
When the Supreme Court declared the income tax unconstitutional, Congress responded with this little used, but possible check on the Judiciaries power.
What is amending the Constitution?
500
In Mcculloch v. Maryland, the Supreme Court expanded the interpretation of this clause to mean "convienent."
What is the necessary and proper clause?