Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM) Practice Exam 2025 – Your All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

The principle that ensures that no one branch of government can exercise complete control over another is known as Separation of Power. This principle is foundational to the structure of the U.S. government and is designed to divide the responsibilities and powers among the three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. By assigning distinct powers to each branch, Separation of Power helps prevent the concentration of authority and potential abuse that could occur if one branch dominated the others. This division requires cooperation and collaboration among branches, fostering a system where each branch operates within its defined scope of duties and has its own responsibilities.

While Checks and Balances also play a crucial role by providing mechanisms for each branch to monitor and limit the actions of the others, it is the Separation of Power that fundamentally establishes the independent roles of each branch, ensuring that they are distinct and do not overlap excessively. Federalism pertains to the distribution of powers between national and state governments, while Judicial Oversight concerns the judiciary's role in interpreting laws and ensuring they comply with the constitution. These concepts, while important, do not primarily focus on the control and powers of different branches within the same level of government.