What principle ensures that no branch of government exceeds its authority?

The principle of checks and balances is fundamental in ensuring that no branch of government exceeds its authority. This system is designed to create a framework where each branch—executive, legislative, and judicial—has the power to monitor and limit the actions of the others. This helps prevent any single branch from becoming too powerful and abusing its authority.

For example, the legislative branch can pass laws, but the executive branch has the power to veto those laws, and the judicial branch can declare laws unconstitutional. Each branch's ability to revise or challenge the actions of the others creates a balance of power, promoting accountability and protecting individual rights.

The other options, while important principles in the Constitution, do not specifically address the dynamic of limiting governmental authority in the same direct way. Separation of powers focuses on dividing responsibilities among the branches to prevent concentration of power, which is crucial but does not include the mechanisms for enforcement that checks and balances provides. Popular sovereignty emphasizes that the government's authority is derived from the people's consent, and federalism involves the division of powers between national and state governments. These principles contribute to the overall structure of governance but do not specifically delineate how to prevent any branch from overstepping its bounds.