How does the relationship between the three branches of government Essay

How does the relationship between the three branches of government influence the policy-making process - Essay Example Thus, this paper will explain how the relationship between the Executive, the Legislative and Judicial branches of government influence the policy-making process. The legislative branch has authorization from the state law and the state constitution to make local law. The legislators who make up the legislative are elected by the public in order to make policy decisions, as well as enact laws on their behalf. The executive develops the proposed policies, and its main duty is to implement the policy made by the legislators (Corwin, 1957). However, the executive members do not make policy decisions, but they have a strong influence on the process of policy making. The Judiciary, which consists of the Supreme Court, and lower courts is said to have the least policy making powers compared to the other two branches, but in U.S, it has equal power with the other two branches (Gewirtz, 1976). It ensures uniformity in the interpretation of national laws made by the legislative. Gewirtz (1976) argues that the Legislative (Congress), is the favored institution in the federal government for policy-making. However, to be sure of this policy, the other two branches also have legitimate policy making powers. For instance, the executive has constitutional functions and duties, which involve significant policy-making especially in foreign affairs, and initiates and vetoes legislation that influences the policy-making process. Thus, the executive together with other independent agencies are expected to make some policy in the process of administering the law. Although most of the cases decided by the federal courts only help in applying the existing law to certain cases, the Judiciary makes policy, as well, in applying statute, nurturing the national common law, as well as interpreting the constitution (Gewirtz, 1976). Therefore, all the three branches of government are