branches of government
Legislative, executive, judicial
The branches of government are the distinct divisions of governmental power, typically legislative (making laws), executive (enforcing laws), and judicial (interpreting laws).
This separation prevents concentration of authority: The Constitution established three branches of government with checks and balances.
The phrase appears most often in civics education and constitutional discussions.
National legislative assembly
- senateLegislative governing body
- billAmount owed, written
- statuteEnacted written rule
- lawmakingCrafting enforceable rules
legislator · senator · representative · assembly · committee · caucus · filibuster · quorum
Constitutional distribution of authority
- checks and balancesConstitutional power-limiting framework
- federalismDivided governmental authority system
- constitutionInherent physical or structural makeup
- articlesWritten works or items
enumerated powers · supremacy clause · bill of rights · framers · founding fathers · balance of power · oversight · accountability
Judicial bodies or playing areas
- judgesLegal proceeding overseers
- Supreme CourtNation's top tribunal
- justiceFair treatment under law
- rulingFormal legal determination
verdict · appellate · tribunal · bench · judiciary · magistrate · constitutional review · injunction
Elected leader of nation
- cabinetEnclosed storage furniture
- vetoOfficial refusal to approve
- executive orderBinding directive from leadership
- commander-in-chiefHighest military authority holder
mayor · head of state · administration · enforcement · agency · secretary · ambassador · prime minister
Depiction or likeness
- suffrageRight to cast ballots
- electorateEligible voting body
- votingFormally registering a choice
- ballotVoting document
civic participation · referendum · transparency · pluralism · deliberation · popular sovereignty · republic · democratic accountability
parliament
National legislative assembly
lawmaking · legislator · senator · representative · assembly · committee · caucus · filibuster · quorum · session
separation of powers
Constitutional distribution of authority
- checks and balancesConstitutional power-limiting framework
- federalismDivided governmental authority system
- constitutionInherent physical or structural makeup
articles · enumerated powers · supremacy clause · bill of rights · framers · founding fathers · balance of power · oversight · accountability · delegation
courts
Judicial bodies or playing areas
- judgesLegal proceeding overseers
- Supreme CourtNation's top tribunal
- justiceFair treatment under law
ruling · verdict · appellate · tribunal · bench · judiciary · magistrate · constitutional review · injunction · docket
president
Elected leader of nation
- cabinetEnclosed storage furniture
- vetoOfficial refusal to approve
- executive orderBinding directive from leadership
commander-in-chief · mayor · head of state · administration · enforcement · agency · secretary · ambassador · prime minister · chancellor
representation
Depiction or likeness
- suffrageRight to cast ballots
- electorateEligible voting body
- votingFormally registering a choice
ballot · civic participation · referendum · transparency · pluralism · deliberation · popular sovereignty · republic · democratic accountability · rule of law
- social studiescivics, social studies, maps, economics, community
- civicsballot, election, ballots, Bill of Rights, checks and balances
- governmentministries, legislature, judiciary, ministry, ministers
- constitutional governmentseparation of powers, checks and balances, constitutionalism, constitutional framework, executive power
- constitutionsbill of rights, constitutional amendment, constitutional reform, clause, clauses
- naturalizationcitizenship test, naturalization ceremony, naturalization test, naturalization certificate, citizenship oath
branches of governmentabsolute monarchy
Unrestricted single-ruler government
autocracy · dictatorship · totalitarianism · one-man rule · despotism
branches of governmentanarchy
Disorder from absent authority
lawlessness · chaos · statelessness · disorder · failed state
branch, branches, branched, branching, govern, governs, governed, governing, governor