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Citizenship · System of Government

Name ONE branch or part of the government.

  1. A The Department of Defense
  2. B Congress (legislative), the President (executive), or the courts (judicial)
  3. C The Federal Reserve
  4. D The military

Why this is the answer

The U.S. federal government has THREE branches, established by the Constitution to provide CHECKS AND BALANCES so no single branch becomes too powerful: (1) LEGISLATIVE BRANCH — Congress, which consists of the Senate (100 members, 2 per state) and House of Representatives (435 members based on state population); makes laws. (2) EXECUTIVE BRANCH — the President, Vice President, and Cabinet; enforces laws. (3) JUDICIAL BRANCH — the federal courts including the Supreme Court; interprets laws. Any ONE of these is acceptable on the USCIS test. The terms 'legislative,' 'executive,' and 'judicial' may also be used. The Department of Defense and military are part of the executive branch but are not 'branches' themselves. The Federal Reserve is an independent agency.
Source: USCIS Civics Question 13 (65/20)

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