How do checks and balances function in a constitutional system?

• A. Branches work independently with no interaction.
• B. The executive branch can unilaterally override other branches.
• C. Each branch can limit the others' powers, preventing one branch from dominating.
• D. Only the legislative branch checks the others.

Answer: (C)

Checks and balances means each branch of government has ways to limit the others so no single part can dominate. In practice, laws can be made by the legislative branch, but the executive can veto those laws, and the legislature can override a veto in some cases. The judiciary can review laws and executive actions and strike down anything that conflicts with the Constitution. Judges and other officials are often appointed or approved with input from the other branches, and the legislature controls funding, which gives it financial leverage. This network of overlapping powers keeps government operating with accountability and prevents a single branch from seizing control.

Other ideas people might imagine—like branches acting without interacting, or the executive overriding others on its own, or only the legislative branch checking the others—don’t reflect how power is deliberately dispersed and checked through multiple interdependent mechanisms.