When the framers of the United States Constitution met, they did not intend to write the Constitution of the United States, they met to establish the Articles of Confederation. The Articles were too weak and could not support the nation either domestically or abroad. After working on the Articles for a while, the Authors realized that they needed a completely new document; and they started over again. Although the Framers realized the need for a strong federal government, they also intended to protect its citizens from a monarchical government like that of England. The Founders decided that people should be citizens of both the nation and their respective states. However, the Framers did not want any one person or group to have total control over any aspect of the federal government. They felt that if they allowed this to happen, the monarchy would prevail and they would be back in the same position as before. Therefore, they added separation of powers and checks and balances as a way to limit 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. The checks and balances system was the method by which each group could ensure that no branch overstepped its boundaries. The primary role of the executive branch is to enforce the law. They enforce laws that help run the government such as tax collection, national security, and the representation of U.S. political and economic interests around the world. The main role of the legislature is to make the law. They pass national laws and allocate funds to operate the federal government and provide assistance to… middle of paper… benefit. I disagree with criticisms of the separation of powers and checks and balances in our national government. Although 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 made 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. When talking about the Founders, however, you need to realize that, at the time the Constitution was written, only thirteen states existed. I don't think the founding fathers had such a large and populous country in mind at the time.