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Question 15 of 128 · American Government · Principles of American Government

There are three branches of government. Why?

Accepted answers

  • So one part does not become too powerful
  • Checks and balances
  • Separation of powers

Any one of these is accepted, unless the question asks for more than one.

Why this is the answer

The Founders had just fought a war against a king and had no wish to create another one. So they split the powers of government among three branches: Congress makes the laws, the President enforces them and the courts review them. That is the separation of powers. Then they gave each branch ways to check the others, for example the President can veto a bill and Congress can override the veto, so that no single person or group can take over. That is checks and balances. All three official answers describe the same design. Memory hook: separate the powers, then let them check each other.