The Constitution
branch of government
One of the three divisions of power the Constitution creates: legislative (Congress), executive (the President), and judicial (the courts).
In full
The design gives each branch its own source of authority and its own tools against the others, so that no one of them can do everything. States mirror the structure with a legislature, a governor, and a court system. When people speak of a fourth branch they usually mean the administrative agencies, which are formally inside the executive but function with substantial independence.
Also written as: three branches
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.