America's Long History Of 'checks And Balances' Is Being Tested By Trump Like Rarely Before

It's what one historian calls an "elaborate, clunky machine," one that's been fundamental to American democracy for more than two centuries.

The principle of "checks and balances" is rooted in the Constitution's design of a national government with three distinct, coequal branches.

President Donald Trump in his first 100 days tested that system like rarely before, signing dozens of executive orders , closing or sharply reducing government agencies funded by Congress, and denigrating judges who have issued dozens of rulings against him.

"The framers were acutely aware of competing interests, and they had great distrust of concentrated authority," said Dartmouth College professor John Carey, an expert on American democracy. "That's where the idea came from."

Their road map has mostly prevented control from falling into "one person's hands," Carey said. But he warned that the system depends on "people operating in good faith ... and not necessarily exercising power to the fullest extent imaginable."