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Reference Library
The founding document as written, a plain overview of the seven Articles, and a glossary of archaic and legal terms.
Judicial Power & Separation of Powers
INS v. Chadha
Decided: 1983
Struck down the legislative veto, reinforcing separation of powers between Congress and the executive.
A federal statute allowed either house of Congress, by simple resolution, to override an executive-branch decision to suspend deportation. The Court held this 'one-house veto' unconstitutional: any action legislative in effect must satisfy bicameralism (passage by both houses) and presentment (to the President). Chadha invalidated legislative-veto provisions scattered throughout hundreds of federal statutes and dramatically reshaped how Congress delegates and oversees executive power.