What are system of checks and balances?

A system of checks and balances is like having friends who help you make sure no one gets too powerful when you're playing a game.

Imagine you and your friends are running a toy store. You each have different jobs: one friend picks the toys, another counts the money, and another decides if customers can come in or not. If one of your friends starts taking all the best toys for themselves without asking, the others can step in and say, "Hey, that's not fair!", they check their work.

• Each friend has a job, just like each part of government has a different role.
• No one person or group gets to make all the decisions, that’s how checks and balances keep things from getting too messy.
• If someone does something unfair, the others can stop them, that's the balance.

It's like when you're playing tag: if one person is always "it," the others might decide to switch roles so everyone gets a turn. That way, no one feels left out or tired all the time!