What To Know
- 68% of Americans say the system of checks and balances that divides power between the White House, Congress and the courts is not working well, according to a PBS News/NPR/Marist Poll (Feb. 23, 2026).
- More than three-quarters of respondents in the poll feel the issues that divide the country pose a serious threat to the future of American democracy, a concern shared by a majority of all political parties.
- Trump has pushed his policy priorities at a rapid pace, often bypassing Congress and signing executive actions. The conservative majority on the Supreme Court has allowed many of Trump's executive actions to go into effect, even as lawsuits continue in lower courts, with the notable exception of his tariff policy.
Why It Matters
The system of checks and balances is one of the basic pillars of constitutional democracy outlined in the Constitution. The system prevents one branch of government from having too much power over the other branches.
Overall, the Republican-controlled Congress has done little to push back as the president has taken over the spending and war powers that belong to the legislature, a move that is not uncommon when the executive branch and the Congress belong to the same party.
Discussion Questions
- Do you think the system of checks and balances is working? Explain.
- Have the Trump administration's policies affected you personally? Explain. Now take a look at the article "Checks and balances aren't working under Trump, growing majority says," to see how poll respondents answered this question (scroll about halfway down). Did the results surprise you? Why or why not?
Extension Activity
Read PBS News' Checks and balances aren't working under Trump, growing majority says, by Matt Loffman, to learn more about the poll, reasons why Americans feel the way they do and two different viewpoints from political scientists over the issue of checks and balances.
What Students Can Do
Look back activity: With a classmate, family member or neighbor watch the Short above and the following News Hour video, Diminishing Checks and Balances for U.S. Commanders in Chief Considering War from July 24, 2013, contains an inteview with Marvin Kalb, veteran journalist and teacher, about his book, "The Road to War: Presidential Commitments Honored and Betrayed," about the evolving power of the president to commit the country to military action around the world. It starts off with News Hour correspondent Ray Suarez:
"The Constitution establishes the president of the United States as the commander in chief of the nation's armed forces, but the power to make war is subject to the checks and balances found throughout the Constitution.
The president asks Congress to declare war, and it's congressional approval that clears the way for a state of war. But declarations of war are rare, and American forces have seen plenty of combat without them on the orders of the president."
"The whole idea, as you said at the very beginning, was checks and balances. And, increasingly, with the Congress abdicating its responsibility, with the president having his own army, in effect, and with the media more or less benignly going along with what's happening, you end up with the president having all of the power to do whatever he wants. If he, tomorrow morning, decides we're going to put -- we're going to go into an attack in Iran, who would stop him? No one. You would just learn about it and report it." — Marvin Kalb, News Hour interview, July 24, 2013
Discussion Questions
- How does this video compare with the 2026 video and article above about checks and balances?
- Are the issues and themes (Iran War, presidential power, Congress, news media, etc.) similar or different to today? Explain.
- Do you think the president should have to ask Congress to declare war (this is currently the law)? Why do presidents from both political parties ignore this part of the Constitution and legislation like the War Powers Act?
2026 Election Lesson Plans and Resources
Explore our election resources to engage your students in learning about the election process and its significance at every level. Discover lessons on election fundamentals, laws, security, current events, youth involvement, and historic U.S. elections.
Republished with permission from PBS News Hour Classroom.
PBS News Hour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of News Hour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
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