Which principle ensures that no single branch of government can dominate by allowing each branch to limit the others?

Which principle ensures that no single branch of government can dominate by allowing each branch to limit the others?

• A. Federalism
• B. Popular Sovereignty
• C. Checks and balances
• D. Limited Government

Answer: (C)

Checks and balances is the idea that each branch of the national government has tools to limit the others, so no single branch can dominate. This keeps power from concentrating in one place. For example, the president can veto legislation, but Congress can override that veto with a two‑thirds vote. The Senate must approve presidential appointments and treaties, and the judiciary can strike down laws it finds unconstitutional. Together, these overlapping powers create a system where each branch checks the others. Federalism would be about dividing power between the national and state governments, not about inter-branch limits at the national level. Popular sovereignty is the principle that the people hold ultimate authority, while limited government means the government’s powers are constrained by the Constitution. Neither specifically describes the mechanism that keeps one branch from overpowering the others.

Checks and balances is the idea that each branch of the national government has tools to limit the others, so no single branch can dominate. This keeps power from concentrating in one place. For example, the president can veto legislation, but Congress can override that veto with a two‑thirds vote. The Senate must approve presidential appointments and treaties, and the judiciary can strike down laws it finds unconstitutional. Together, these overlapping powers create a system where each branch checks the others.

Federalism would be about dividing power between the national and state governments, not about inter-branch limits at the national level. Popular sovereignty is the principle that the people hold ultimate authority, while limited government means the government’s powers are constrained by the Constitution. Neither specifically describes the mechanism that keeps one branch from overpowering the others.