Checks and balances
U.S. Naturalization Test (2025 Standard) glossary · Civics
Definition
The system letting each branch of government limit the others.
Checks and balances in plain English
The U.S. government is split into three branches — one makes laws (Congress), one carries them out (the President), and one decides what the laws mean (the courts). "Checks and balances" is the clever rule that lets each branch block or limit the other two, so no single one becomes too powerful. It's like three roommates who each hold one key to a shared safe: nobody can open it alone, so they're forced to work together and keep each other honest.
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