Question 16: Name the three branches of government.
Official answers (any one counts)
USCIS accepts any of these answers. If the question asks for more than one, give as many as it asks.
- Legislative, executive, and judicial
- Congress, president, and the courts
Grandpa explains
Legislative makes laws, executive carries them out, judicial explains them: Congress, President, courts.
Careful: these are NOT the answer
These are the common mix-ups. The app uses them as traps so you practice.
- Federal, state, and city governments
- The Army, the Navy, and the Air Force
- Republican, Democrat, and Independent
On the 2008 test this is question 13
If you filed your N-400 before October 20, 2025, you take the 2008 version. Which one is mine?
Name one branch or part of the government.
★ 65/20 Also one of the 20 for 65/20 on the 2008 test.
- Congress
- legislative
- President
- executive
- the courts
- judicial
Video lesson on this topic: Congress
More questions on this topic
- 17The President of the United States is in charge of which branch of government?
- 18What part of the federal government writes laws?
- 19What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
- 20Name one power of the U.S. Congress. ★
- 21How many U.S. senators are there?
- 22How long is a term for a U.S. senator?
Official sources:
- USCIS · 128 Civics Questions and Answers (2025 version), M-1778 (09/25) ↗ · checked October 6, 2026
The plain explanation is ours; the official answers are USCIS's, word for word.