Which term means power is divided among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches to prevent concentration of authority?

Which term means power is divided among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches to prevent concentration of authority?

• A. Separation of Powers
• B. Checks and Balances
• C. Federalism
• D. Judicial Review

Answer: (A)

Power is divided among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches so that no single part of government holds all authority. This arrangement, called Separation of Powers, assigns distinct roles to each branch—legislating, enforcing, and interpreting laws—and keeps the others in check by design to prevent the concentration of power and protect liberty. The idea is lived out in practice through mechanisms that balance power among branches and prevent tyranny. The other terms relate to this system but describe different features: checks and balances refers to how each branch can limit the others’ actions, federalism concerns the division of power between national and state governments, and judicial review is the courts’ power to interpret laws and declare them unconstitutional.

Power is divided among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches so that no single part of government holds all authority. This arrangement, called Separation of Powers, assigns distinct roles to each branch—legislating, enforcing, and interpreting laws—and keeps the others in check by design to prevent the concentration of power and protect liberty. The idea is lived out in practice through mechanisms that balance power among branches and prevent tyranny. The other terms relate to this system but describe different features: checks and balances refers to how each branch can limit the others’ actions, federalism concerns the division of power between national and state governments, and judicial review is the courts’ power to interpret laws and declare them unconstitutional.