Understanding how the United States government works is critical to succeeding on the AP United States Government and Politics exam. That includes having a solid understanding about how each piece of the federal government works together.

One of the key components of this is the checks and balances system, which is where each branch of government checks--or limits--the power of the others. And unfortunately, understanding how those checks work can be a little confusing.

That’s where this article comes in. Today, we’re going to investigate how the executive branch of the U.S. government checks the judicial branch. To do this, we’ll:

• Define the three branches of government
• Examine how the judicial and executive branches operate
• Answer the question, “How does the executive branch check the judicial branch?”

So let’s get started!

If you have a goal of becoming a K-12 teacher, there are a number of ways to become licensed. Depending on where and what you want to teach, you can pursue a degree from an approved teacher education program or a means of alternative certification.

In this article, we’ll cover how and where you can get a teaching degree, as well as which type of certification is best for your situation.

One of the best ways to practice a language is to read it. It’s even better when you read idiomatic phrases that don’t always translate directly into English. That helps you learn more than just vocabulary--it teaches you to unlock the meaning behind the words, too. It’s definitely a skill you’ll definitely need to ace your AP Spanish Language exam or your AP Spanish Literature exam!

Today, we’re going to introduce you to 9 of the best inspirational Spanish quotes about life. Reading through these will help you practice your advanced reading and comprehension skills...and it might just give you some food for thought, too. For each quote, we’re going to give you:

• The Spanish quote
• The English translation of the quote
• A short discussion of why the quote is inspirational

¿Listos? ¡Bien, empecemos!

On the evening of October 4, 1997, one man loaded $17.3 million in cash from the vaults of Loomis, Fargo & Co. into the back of a van. When he was done, the man drove off to a nearby printing press, where the money was distributed into private vehicles amongst a handful of people.

Pocketing $50,000 for himself, that man, named David Ghantt, hopped into a car of his own and headed towards Mexico.

If you’re thinking of applying to college, it’s vital that you know what the SAT is and how it will affect your application process.

So what is the SAT? It’s one of two standardized college admissions tests in the US. (The other is the ACT.) It's run by the College Board, a non-profit that also administers the PSAT and the AP (Advanced Placement) program.

One of the types of questions you’ll see on both the SAT exam and the ACT exam are word problems. You know, situations where you’re given real-world scenarios, and you have to figure out the answer to a particular question based on the data you’re given.

It’s common to see conversions in word problems. Conversions ask you to change a value from one form of measurement into another. In today’s article, we’re going to cover one specific type of measurement conversion: imperial volume conversion.

Specifically, we’re going to show you how to figure out how many cups are in 4 quarts. (Spoiler alert: 16 cups are in 4 quarts!)

We’ll teach you:

• The math formula for converting cups to quarts
• How to figure out how many cups is 4 quarts by figuring out the cups to quarts conversion
• How to read a chart that explains different imperial volume conversions

Ready? Let’s dive in!

Knowing how to ask where the bathroom is located is crucial if you’re traveling somewhere new or learning a new language. Read this guide to learn about all the different ways to say “bathroom” in Spanish, including which terms you should use in different situations. You’ll also learn how to ask to use the bathroom in Spanish, as well as additional bathroom-related words and phrases.

Wait—a bachelor's degree is how many years? Most Americans wouldn't hesitate to say, "Four." But as it turns out, this isn't always the case—and certainly doesn't have to be for you if you'd rather graduate early!

In this guide, we address one of students' biggest questions about college: how many years is a bachelor's degree, and how can you shorten this time frame? Read on to learn what a typical bachelor's degree entails in terms of credits and classes, how long bachelor's programs generally are, and how you can reduce the time it will take you to earn a bachelor's degree. We'll also cover the biggest drawbacks of getting your degree in less than four years.

Are you considering a job in healthcare administration? It’s a rapidly growing field that pays well and gives you the opportunity to help patients and make the medical process easier for them. However, you need to have the proper education to work in this field.

What healthcare administration degree do you need to get the job you want? Once you have your health administration degree, what jobs can you get? How much money can you make? Is a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration enough or do you need to get a master’s? And if you decide to get your degree online, what are the best programs available? This guide will answer all your questions!

When you hear the term “human resources” or “HR,” what do you think of? You’ve probably heard it quite a few times, whether that’s from your business courses, the news, or even as you’ve researched potential majors.

One of our favorite examples of someone who works in human resources is the character Toby from The Office. Toby’s job was to keep Michael Scott, Dunder Mifflin’s off-the-wall regional manager, in check. (If you’ve ever seen The Office, you know that was an impossible order!)

And if you remember Toby, you’ll also recollect that he was also considered a wet blanket and no fun.

But despite its portrayal in The Office, working in human resources is actually an excellent fit for anyone who enjoys working with people and shaping a company’s policies. This article will not only introduce you to the human resources degree, it will also give you a peek at the doors it can open for you.

Last Thursday, the College Board announced via the Wall Street Journal that it has been testing out a project where, along with students' SAT scores, colleges see each student's "Overall Disadvantage Level," or their "adversity score."

In this article, we'll go over what we know so far about the adversity score and how it might affect college admissions. We'll also give some tips on how to limit what information about you the College Board can use to calculate your adversity score.

We'll keep this article updated as new information comes out on the adversity score, so be sure to check back periodically.

If you didn't graduate from high school, going back and finishing it so you can finally get your high school diploma is a practical step. But if you're an adult well past your teenage years, the prospect of going back to high school can be pretty intimidating. Fortunately, there are alternative ways adults can earn a high school diploma.

Read on to learn more about what the general steps are for getting a high school diploma, how important having the physical diploma is, whether you can attend college without a high school diploma, and what your options are for legitimate adult high school diploma programs.

Are you taking the SAT or ACT and want to make sure you know how to work with data sets? Or maybe you’re looking to refresh your memory for a high school or college math class. Whatever the case, it’s important you know how to find the mean of a data set.

We'll explain what the mean is used for in math, how to calculate the mean, and what problems about the mean can look like.

It’s pretty much a guarantee that you’ll see quadratic equations on the SAT and ACT. But they can be tricky to tackle, especially since there are multiple methods you can use to solve them.

In this article, we’re going to walk through using one specific method—completing the square—to solve a quadratic equation. In fact, we’ll give you step-by-step instructions for how to complete the square using the completing the square formula. By the end, you should have a better understanding of how and when to use this mathematical strategy!

Ready to learn more? Then let’s jump in!

If you love working with kids, an early childhood education degree might be for you. In this growing field, a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education is becoming more and more necessary to get the job you want.

Read on to learn what an early childhood education degree entails, the main differences between an early childhood education associate degree and a bachelor’s degree, and whether you actually need a graduate degree in the field. We’ll also look at the seven best schools offering an early childhood education degree online.