Separation of Powers: The principle that divides governmental powers among different branches (executive, legislative, judicial) to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.
Checks and Balances: A system where each branch has some control over the actions of other branches, ensuring that no single branch can abuse its power.
Federalism: A political system that divides power between a central government and regional governments (states), allowing for shared governance while protecting against central authority becoming too strong.