Checks and balances let each branch of the U.S. government limit the others. Congress makes laws, the President carries them out, and the courts interpret them. The President can veto a bill; Congress can override with two-thirds of each chamber; courts can strike down laws. Sort the powers, then work real vote counts.
Who holds each power and whom it checks
Veto a bill passed by Congress: held by the Executive branch; checks the Legislative branch (Article I, Section 7).
Override a veto with a two-thirds vote in each chamber: held by the Legislative branch; checks the Executive branch (Article I, Section 7).
Approve or reject treaties the President makes: held by the Legislative branch; checks the Executive branch (Article II, Section 2).
Confirm or reject the President’s Cabinet nominees: held by the Legislative branch; checks the Executive branch (Article II, Section 2).
Decide how federal money may be spent: held by the Legislative branch; checks the Executive branch (Article I, Section 9).
Nominate federal judges, including Supreme Court justices: held by the Executive branch; checks the Judicial branch (Article II, Section 2).
Pardon a person convicted of a federal crime: held by the Executive branch; checks the Judicial branch (Article II, Section 2).
Declare a law passed by Congress unconstitutional: held by the Judicial branch; checks the Legislative branch (Article III (judicial power); established in Marbury v. Madison, 1803).
Impeach and remove a federal judge: held by the Legislative branch; checks the Judicial branch (Article I, Sections 2 and 3; Article II, Section 4; Article III, Section 1).
Create lower federal courts: held by the Legislative branch; checks the Judicial branch (Article I, Section 8; Article III, Section 1).
Vote rules in the Constitution
Veto override: two-thirds of each chamber (Article I, Section 7). With every member voting: 290 of 435 in the House, 67 of 100 in the Senate.
An unsigned bill becomes law after ten days, Sundays excepted, unless Congress has adjourned and prevented its return (Article I, Section 7).
Treaties: the Senate’s advice and consent, with two-thirds of the senators present (Article II, Section 2).
Appointments: the Senate’s advice and consent (Article II, Section 2); no two-thirds rule, so a simple majority confirms.
Impeachment: the House has the sole power to impeach; the Senate tries the case, and conviction needs two-thirds of the members present (Article I, Sections 2 and 3). The Chief Justice presides when the President is tried.
Tie votes in the Senate: the Vice President, as President of the Senate, votes only when the Senate is equally divided (Article I, Section 3).
Judicial review: not written in the Constitution; established by the Supreme Court in Marbury v. Madison (1803).
Amendments: proposed by two-thirds of both chambers (or a convention called by two-thirds of the states) and ratified by three-fourths of the states (Article V).
GED Social Studies facts (checked 26 October 2026)
The Social Studies test lasts 70 minutes, including 2 minutes of instructions and final review, with no break (GED.com).
Question types: multiple choice, drag and drop, fill in the blank, select an area and drop-down (GED.com).
Content: civics and government 50%, U.S. history 20%, economics 15%, geography and the world 15% (GED Testing Service assessment guide).
GED.com says the Social Studies test is not a memorization test: you use the information given to draw conclusions.
You pass a GED subject with a score of 145 on the 100 to 200 scale. Lab results here are practice only and are not GED scores.
Independent preparation materials. Not affiliated with or endorsed by ACE or GED Testing Service. GED is a registered trademark owned by ACE. Practice results do not predict an official GED score, and GEDPilot does not guarantee a passing score.