American Government - The Branches of Government: A Closer Look - Comprehension Questions

According to the text, what established three separate branches for the U.S. federal government?

• Congress

• the Constitution of the United States

• the president

• the Supreme Court of the United States

What are the three branches of the U.S. federal government described in the text?

• congressional, executive, judicial

• congressional, executive, legislative

• executive, judicial, legislative

• judicial, legislative, professional

Read these sentences from the text. The president cannot make laws. The president's job is to enforce the laws made by the legislative branch. To do that, the president has the help of executive departments and agencies. They handle the daily work of administering federal laws and programs.

• A. The executive branch and legislative branch never work together.

• B. The different branches of government sometimes work together.

• C. The executive branch does not impact the judicial branch.

Based on the text, what is the relationship between the Legislative Branch (Congress), the executive departments, and the U.S. Supreme Court?

• Congress is in charge of the executive departments and the U.S. Supreme Court.

• The executive departments are in charge of Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court.

• The U.S. Supreme Court is in charge of Congress and the executive departments.

• Each group has a role in running the U.S. federal government.

What is this text mostly about?

• the origins of the three branches of the U.S. federal government

• the importance of the separation of powers in any world government

• the roles of the three branches of the U.S. federal government

• the tension among the three branches of the U.S. federal government

As used in these sentences, what does the word "handle" mean?

• A. part of something made to be held

• B. deal with or work on something

• C. offer or sell something

• D. ignore something or leave it alone

Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. Senators serve six-year terms, ------------ representatives serve two-year terms.

• A. so

• B. while

• C. after

• D. which

According to the text, what do the legislative branch, executive branch, and judicial branch divide the work of?

Although the three branches of the U.S. federal government are separate, the three branches also need to work together. How do the branches work together? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.