Question 13 of 100 · 2008 test
Name one branch or part of the government.
2008 test only
This question is from the 2008 test, which applies if you filed Form N-400 before Oct 20, 2025; later filers take the 2025 test of 128 questions - check your version on the official USCIS test-updates page.
Acceptable answers
- Congress
- legislative
- President
- executive
- the courts
- judicial
On the 2025 test
The 2025 list has no question that asks this.
Related 2025 question on the same fact:
Explanation
The three branches are the legislative (Congress), the executive (President), and the judicial (the courts).
Why it matters
Dividing power into three branches keeps any single part of government from dominating the others.
The 65/20 special consideration
Question 13 is one of the 20 questions in the 65/20 set. An applicant who is 65 or older and has been a lawful permanent resident for 20 years or more studies only those 20 questions instead of all 100, and this is one of them.
Answers that get mixed up with this one
These are the wrong options the practice test puts beside this question. Each one is the correct answer to a different question, which is what makes it tempting.
- the Vice Presidentanswers Question 30: If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
- reviews lawsanswers Question 37: What does the judicial branch do?
More System of Government questions
Questions the officer draws from the same part of the test. Studying them together is what keeps their answers apart.