What principle ensures that each branch of government checks the other branches?

The principle that ensures each branch of government checks the other branches is known as Checks and Balances. This system is designed to prevent any one branch of government—executive, legislative, or judicial—from gaining too much power and abusing it. Each branch has specific responsibilities and the authority to limit the actions of the others. For example, while the legislative branch makes laws, the executive has the power to veto legislation, and the judiciary can rule laws unconstitutional. This interaction creates a balance of power, ensuring that cooperation and oversight are integral components of governance.

While the Separation of Powers refers to the division of government responsibilities into distinct branches, it is the Checks and Balances system that actively engages these branches with mechanisms that monitor and limit each other's authority. Judicial Review pertains to the courts' ability to assess the legality of actions taken by the other branches, but it is part of the broader Checks and Balances framework. Federalism, on the other hand, pertains to the division of power between the national and state governments and does not focus on the interaction between branches within the same level of government. Thus, Checks and Balances is the most accurate principle that describes this interplay among the branches of government.