From chapter 26 of the book: Consider the rapid rise and fall of the Populists in both the West and the South.
Consider the attempt by Populists like Tom Watson to overcome racial division, and
explain the reasons he and other disillusioned reformers later turned to vicious racism.

the system of checks and balances is very important to the us constitution. it makes sure that all three branches of government have limited power. that they do not have too much power. with this system they can limit the amount of power that each one has. that way no branch becomes too powerful.

an example of this is how the executive branch can veto bills from the legislative branch but the legislative branch can still override that veto. the name checks and balances come from the power for one branch to check the   power of another branch to make sure that everything is balanced between all three.

i hope this