Which are the three branches of the United States federal government?

• A. Legislative, Executive, and Judicial
• B. Legislative, Judicial, and Regulatory
• C. Federal, State, Local
• D. Government, People, Courts

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how the U.S. government divides power to prevent too much authority from resting in one place, by creating three separate branches with distinct roles. The legislative branch writes and passes laws, the executive branch enforces them, and the judicial branch interprets and applies them in courts. This separation is reinforced by checks and balances, so no single branch can control everything.

So, the best answer lists Legislative, Executive, and Judicial as the three branches. The other options don’t fit because they either introduce a nonofficial “regulatory” branch, confuse levels of government (federal, state, local), or describe vague groups that aren’t the formal division of powers.