The Founding Fathers were concerned about limiting the federal government's powers. No one branch of its structure would become more powerful than the rest. The Constitution creates a system of "checks and balances" to protect American freedoms while ensuring that no one branch becomes too great. Checks and balances, otherwise known as the separation of powers, is a principle of government that empowers other branches with some powers of the remaining two. This structure prevents abuses of power by one branch and shares power with other and we we will as necessary. Bella was introduced to basic examples of checks & balances today and we will expand this concept in our next class.