checks and balances: A major structural component of the American political system in which each department of government exercises a check on the actions of the others. Through this device the Founding Fathers sought to prevent the accumulation of power in one branch of government. This approaches stresses the interdependence of the branches of government and the need for compromise. and prevents the usurpation of power. Major defects of this approach are its tendency towards gridlock/ deadlock and the inability to act swiftly in crisis.

Paraphrase from: The American Political Dictionary