PROJECT: FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT One of the bummers about being human is...well, being human. Every person makes mistakes. One of the problems people have is that our perception of the world is limited to what we know or have seen. And sometimes humans have to make decisions based on that limited knowledge. Consequently, mistakes get made. The framers of the Constitution, knowing they were far from perfect, created a series of checks and balances to keep government from making mistakes. Maybe a foreign country attacks some American citizens while they are visiting, and the president decides to wage war against that nation. He must seek approval from Congress first. Congress, at some point in time, wants to make a law regulating how much gas you can put in your car. The Supreme Court might end up deciding if Congress has the Constitutional authority to make such a law. A Supreme Court justice goes off the deep end. Congress actually has the authority to can him/her if necessary. Finally, if Congress passes a bill that the president clearly knows is wrong, he can veto it. Having said all that, the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution was actually designed as a check and balance. Congress had already passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866. As with any law, there was a chance that the Supreme Court might one day strike the act down as unconstitutional. To avoid this, Congress pushed through the Fourteenth Amendment. When the states ratified it, the amendment became part of this nation's sacred document. Because amendments require states' ratification, it is another check and balance that allows the people to decide if something needs to be added to the Constitution. OBJECTIVES In a 250-word essay, explain the importance of having checks and balances in the U.S. Constitution. Instructions Knowing how checks and balances work; write a short paper of about 250 words that outlines the concept of checks and balances in everyday life. You can use as the setting your home, school, or where you work. Each of these, when op