Which principle ensures that government power is divided among different branches?

The principle that ensures that government power is divided among different branches is checks and balances. This constitutional framework was created to prevent any one branch of government—executive, legislative, or judicial—from becoming too powerful. Each branch has specific powers and responsibilities, as well as the ability to check the actions of the other branches. For example, the executive branch can veto legislation passed by the legislative branch, while the judicial branch can declare laws or executive actions unconstitutional. This system is designed to promote cooperation and limit the concentration of power, thus protecting individual freedoms and maintaining order in government.

In contrast, federalism refers to the division of power between the national and state governments, which is not the main focus of the question concerning the division among branches. Judicial review, the power of courts to assess whether a law is in compliance with the Constitution, is a tool used within the system of checks and balances but does not encompass the broader division of powers. Popular sovereignty relates to the idea that government derives its authority from the consent of the governed, which is a fundamental democratic principle but does not directly address the separation of powers among branches.