What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?

The correct answer is Checks and Balances because this principle is a fundamental part of the U.S. Constitution that ensures no single branch of government—executive, legislative, or judicial—can dominate the others. Each branch has the power to monitor and limit the actions of the others, thereby creating a system where power is decentralized. For example, while the legislative branch creates laws, the executive branch has the power to veto them, and the judiciary can rule laws unconstitutional. This interplay keeps any one branch from becoming overly powerful and promotes cooperation and accountability among them.

Other concepts, such as Separation of Powers, also play a crucial role in how government functions but do so in a different way. Separation of Powers divides government responsibilities into distinct branches to prevent the concentration of power. While it lays the groundwork for preventing tyranny, it is the Checks and Balances that actively enforce this separation by allowing each branch to limit the powers of the others.

Federalism refers to the distribution of power between the national and state governments, which is important for maintaining a balance of power on a broader scale but does not specifically address the balance among branches of government. Judicial Review is the power of courts to evaluate laws and executive actions to determine their constitutionality, but it is just