Explain the system of checks and balances in five sentences. Include facts.

Checks and balances are counterbalancing influences that keep an organization and/or system balanced. The idea is to ensure that one power does not exceed another. This is not controlled by a single individual or group, but rather, a larger spectrum. An example of this would be the balance between the executive, judicial, and legislative branches. Checks and balances keep it so not one branch is more powerful than the other.