Name the three branches of government.

What does this answer mean?

The three branches of the federal government are the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. USCIS also accepts the plain-language version: Congress, the president, and the courts.

The Constitution sets up one branch in each of its first three articles. Article I gives the power to make laws to Congress, the legislative branch. Article II gives the executive power, which means carrying out and enforcing laws, to the president. Article III gives the judicial power, which means deciding cases and explaining laws, to the Supreme Court and the other federal courts that Congress creates.

Each branch can limit the others. The president can veto a bill, Congress can override a veto, and the Senate approves the president's choices for federal judges. This system, called checks and balances, keeps any one branch from becoming too powerful.

A simple way to answer is "Congress, the president, and the courts." Make sure you name all three.