Assess students' understanding of the constitutional system of checks and balances among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the U.S. federal government; scope includes identifying formal powers each branch uses to limit the others (e.g., veto and override, judicial review, Senate confirmation, impeachment, budgetary control, treaty and appointment powers, pardons, executive orders), explaining how these mechanisms function in practice, analyzing brief historical or hypothetical examples of interbranch conflict and resolution, and evaluating the strengths and limits of the system. Intended for grades 9–12; medium difficulty requiring explanation and short analysis.