| Summary: | One of the central concepts of the Constitution is the separation of powers among the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government. But two hundred years of American history have shown that the respective powers of the three branches sometimes overlap and conflict. U.S. v. Nixon is an example of just such a conflict. It provoked an assertion by the President that he must have strict confidentiality of his correspondence and other materials in order to operate the office of the Chief Executive effectively. When these materials were used as evidence necessary in a criminal trial, the question presented to the Supreme Court was: Which branch should prevail? U.S. v. Nixon can be used in an American history or government class to demonstrate that the separation of powers is not a static concept, but one that is continually evolving and developing.
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