GED Social Studies TestCivics and GovernmentEasy
A newly elected mayor is reviewing the city charter and discovers that the city council has the power to override her veto with a two-thirds vote. This mechanism is an example of which principle of government?
- APopular Sovereignty
- BChecks and Balances
- CJudicial Review
- DFederalism
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Checks and Balances
The ability of one branch of government (the city council) to limit the power of another branch (the mayor's veto) is a classic example of checks and balances, designed to prevent any single branch from becoming too powerful.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Popular sovereignty refers to the idea that the government's power comes from the consent of the governed, not specifically to inter-branch power limitations.
- C. Judicial review is the power of courts to determine the constitutionality of laws, which is not what is described here.
- D. Federalism involves the division of power between national and state/local governments, not within a single level of government.
Checks and Balances
A system in which each branch of government (executive, legislative, judicial) has the power to limit, or check, the actions of the other branches.
- Prevents any one branch from becoming too powerful.
- Promotes cooperation and accountability among branches.
- Examples include presidential veto, congressional override, judicial review.
Memory trick: Each branch BALANCES the others' CHECKbooks.