What prevents concentration of power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches in the U.S. government?

• A. The executive branch can veto laws unilaterally.
• B. There is no mechanism to prevent tyranny.
• C. The system of checks and balances ensures the three branches have distinct powers and can constrain each other.
• D. The judiciary has sole power to approve laws.

Answer: (C)

Checks and balances built into the separation of powers prevent one branch from accumulating unchecked authority by giving each branch its own powers and the ability to limit the others. Congress writes laws, but the President can veto them, and Congress can override that veto with enough votes. The President appoints judges and top officials, yet Senate confirmation provides a deliberate check on those choices. Courts interpret laws and can strike down laws or executive actions that overstep constitutional boundaries through judicial review. The impeachment and removal processes give Congress a way to address misconduct by the President or federal judges. This interlocking system—legislative, executive, and judicial powers overlapping and constraining one another—keeps power distributed and prevents concentration in any single branch. The other statements don’t fit because a veto isn’t unilateral control, there is indeed a mechanism to prevent tyranny, and the judiciary does not have sole authority to approve laws—the legislative branch remains responsible for making laws, with the judiciary serving a review role.