GED Social Studies TestCivics and GovernmentMedium
The Governor of a state vetoes a bill passed by the state legislature. The legislature, however, believes the bill is essential and votes again, successfully passing the bill into law with a two-thirds majority in both chambers, overturning the Governor's veto. This action is an example of which principle of government?
- AFederalism
- BPopular Sovereignty
- CSeparation of Powers
- DChecks and Balances
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Checks and Balances
The scenario describes one branch (legislative) exercising its power to limit the power of another branch (executive) by overriding a veto. This is a classic example of checks and balances.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Federalism is about power division between national and state governments.
- B. Popular Sovereignty means the people are the source of government power.
- C. Separation of Powers refers to the initial assignment of different responsibilities to different branches.
Checks and Balances
A system in which each branch of government (legislative, executive, judicial) has the power to limit, or check, the actions of the other branches, preventing any one branch from becoming too powerful.
- Prevents abuse of power.
- Requires cooperation among branches.
- Examples: presidential veto, congressional override, judicial review.
Memory trick: Checks and Balances keep power in check, like a referee in a game.