Final answer:
The excerpt from the U.S. Constitution exemplifies the principle of checks and balances within the framework of U.S. government, as it establishes a process for the legislative branch to check the executive and judicial branches through impeachment trials.
Step-by-step explanation:
The passage from the U.S. Constitution regarding the Senate's power to try all impeachments, including the necessity for the Chief Justice to preside over the impeachment of a president and the requirement of a two-thirds concurrence for conviction, highlights the principle of checks and balances. This system ensures that no single branch of government becomes too powerful. Specifically, the impeachment process provides a mechanism for the legislative branch to oversee and potentially remove members of the executive and judicial branches, including the President, thereby checking their power.
The Senate's unique role in trying impeachments, along with the Chief Justice's responsibility to preside over a presidential impeachment trial, demonstrates the intertwining yet separate powers of the different branches of government. It is a clear example of how the framers of the Constitution implemented the ideas of Baron Montesquieu concerning checks and balances, which are fundamental to ensuring a balanced distribution of governmental power and protecting against tyranny and abuse of power.