Assess students' ability to analyze how separation of powers and checks and balances influence the passage of federal legislation in the U.S., focusing on interactions among Congress, the President, and the federal judiciary; key procedures (committee review, floor debate, filibuster, reconciliation), executive actions (veto, signing statements, orders), judicial review, and political strategies (bargaining, oversight, appointments). Include short scenarios requiring application of concepts and one comparative question about institutional constraints and routes to enact or block laws.