Which term describes the division of government responsibilities into distinct branches?

The division of government responsibilities into distinct branches is accurately described as the Separation of Powers. This concept is fundamental to the structure of the United States government and is designed to prevent any one branch from gaining too much power. By delineating the functions of government into three separate branches—executive, legislative, and judicial—each branch has its own specific roles and responsibilities. This structure also promotes a system of checks and balances, allowing each branch to oversee and limit the powers of the others, ensuring a balance in governance.

In the context of the other choices, checks and balances refer to the mechanisms that allow each branch to monitor and limit the functions of the others, but this is a result of the separation of powers rather than the definition of it. Judicial review is the power of the courts to assess the constitutionality of legislative acts and executive actions; it stems from the judicial branch's role. Federalism describes the division of powers between the national and state governments rather than the division within the national government itself. Thus, the most accurate term for the division of government responsibilities into distinct branches is the Separation of Powers.