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GCSE Citizenship Studies · key term
Arrangements through which institutions examine and limit the exercise of power, helping to prevent its abuse.
Used by AQA and Edexcel
Paper 1
Arrangements through which institutions oversee and challenge one another, helping to prevent any one institution becoming too powerful.
Revise: Branches of Government and MonarchyDividing responsibilities creates opportunities for checks and balances: institutions can examine and challenge the actions of others. This supports accountability, protects rights and helps prevent the abuse of power.
Paper 1, Paper 2
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Safeguards that prevent power being exercised without limits or accountability.
Checks and balances are safeguards against uncontrolled power. Legal limits on officials, scrutiny by the public and press, and courts applying the law help make authorities accountable. Courts also provide a way to resolve disputes between competing rights rather than leaving the decision entirely to the more powerful side.
