When the Framers of the American Constitution met, they did not intend to write the American Constitution, they met to set the Articles of Confederation. The articles were too weak and could not support the nation either domestically or abroad. After the editors had worked on the articles for a while, they realized they needed a completely new document; and they started again. Although the founders were aware of the need for a strong federal government, they also intended to protect its citizens from a monarchical government such as the English government. The founders decided that people should be citizens of both the nation and their respective states. However, the founders did not want any person or group to have total control over any aspect of the federal government. They believed that if they allowed this to happen, the monarchy would prevail and they would find themselves in the same situation as before. Therefore, they added separation of powers and checks and balances as a way to restrict the control of the national government. The separation of powers divided the government into three branches: executive, legislative and judicial. This was accomplished in the first three articles of the Constitution. Checks and balances were the method by which each group could ensure that no branch overstepped its boundaries. The main role of the executive branch is to enforce the law. They enforce the laws that make government easier to operate, such as collecting taxes, maintaining homeland security, and representing the political and economic interests of the United States around the world. The main role of the legislative branch is to legislate. They pass national laws and allocate funds necessary for the operation of the federal government and for relief middle of paper ....... I disagree with the criticism about separation of powers and checks. and balances the system of our national government. Even if it takes longer to enact laws and there is interference from special interest groups, the separation of powers ensures that laws and government actions will be developed by a diverse group of people with a wide range of opinions. The system of checks and balances assures citizens that the actions of each branch of government are observed and that no branch asserts its authority. I believe our system of government was what the framers of the Constitution intended. However, when talking about the founders, we must realize that at the time the Constitution was written, there were only thirteen states. I don't think the founders had such a large and populated country in mind at that time...