2025 civics test · Question 16 · System of Government
Name the three branches of government.
Any one of these answers is accepted
- Legislative, executive, and judicial
- Congress, president, and the courts
What this means
The federal government has three branches:
- Legislative: Congress, which makes the laws.
- Executive: the president, who carries out and enforces the laws.
- Judicial: the courts, which explain the laws and decide what they mean.
You can answer with the formal names (legislative, executive, judicial) or with the everyday names (Congress, the president, the courts). Both are accepted.
On the 2008 test this question asks for one branch or part, so naming a single one is enough. On the 2025 test you are asked to name all three.
Why this is on the test
Nearly a quarter of the civics questions are about what each branch does, so learning the three names first makes the rest of the government section much easier.
How this question is asked
On the 2025 civics test, the officer asks up to 20 of the 128 questions out loud and you pass by answering 12 correctly. You answer in your own words. There is no multiple choice and nothing to write down for the civics portion.
Related questions
More from System of Government.
- 17 The President of the United States is in charge of which branch of government?
- 18 What part of the federal government writes laws?
- 19 What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
- 20 Name one power of the U.S. Congress.
- 21 How many U.S. senators are there?
- 22 How long is a term for a U.S. senator?