What is the purpose of the checks and balances system?

The checks and balances system is designed specifically to prevent any one branch of government—executive, legislative, or judicial—from gaining excessive power. This structure is a critical feature of the Constitution and aims to maintain a balance among the branches, thereby ensuring that each has the ability to monitor and limit the functions of the others. For example, while the legislative branch makes laws, the executive has the power to veto legislation, and the judicial branch can rule laws unconstitutional. This interplay creates a system of accountability and requires collaboration among the branches, fostering a government that remains responsive to the needs of its citizens while also being constrained from arbitrary power.

The other options do not accurately capture the core function of checks and balances. Ensuring effective governance or promoting political parties may occur as a result of this system, but they are not its primary purpose. Similarly, while checks and balances can slow down the law-making process due to the need for consensus and oversight, this is not its aim; rather, it is to prevent unilateral action and protect democratic principles.