What does the term "separation of powers" refer to?

The term "separation of powers" fundamentally refers to the division of government responsibilities into distinct branches—typically the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. This division is designed to prevent any single branch from wielding too much power and to create a system of checks and balances where each branch can limit the actions of the others. By distributing authority in this way, the framework aims to protect individual liberties and uphold democratic governance.

Each branch has specific functions that are clearly defined in constitutional provisions, allowing for an autonomous operation while being interdependent to some degree. For instance, the legislative branch makes laws, the executive branch enforces those laws, and the judicial branch interprets them. This structure ensures that power is not concentrated in a single entity, which could lead to tyranny or oppression.

In contrast, the other choices do not accurately define "separation of powers." Collaboration between federal and state governments pertains to federalism, while the delegation of powers to local governments involves a different aspect of governance, focusing on the distribution of authority within a larger governmental framework. The relationship between the executive and legislative branches is a subset of the broader principle of separation of powers, as it deals specifically with the interaction between two of the three main branches, rather than addressing the overall