U.S Civics PACE 1135 Practice Test

Checks and balances means no single branch can run the government alone; the Constitution gives each branch powers to limit the others. For example, the legislative branch makes laws but the president can veto them, and Congress can override that veto with a broad enough majority. The president can appoint judges and negotiate treaties, but those appointments and treaties require Senate confirmation. The judiciary interprets laws and can strike them down as unconstitutional, which keeps both the legislative and executive branches within constitutional bounds. Impeachment is another tool that can remove leaders who abuse power, reinforcing the idea that all three branches supervise one another. This interlocking system is what keeps government from concentrating authority in one place. The other statements suggest independence, an absolute ban on checks, or no role in lawmaking, which misrepresent how power is distributed and checked in the Constitution.