Question

The following sentence contains a blank marked the choice that is correct and belongs in the blank. (Note: On the real \(G E D^{\circledR}\) test, the choices will appear as a "drop-down" menu. When you click on a choice, it will appear in the blank.) Cabinet departments such as the Department of Defense and Departmentof Justice belong to the \begin{tabular}{|l|l|} \hline Select... & \(\boldsymbol{\nabla}\) \\ \hline executive \\ \hline judicial \\ \hline legislative \\ \hline \end{tabular} branch.

Short answer

executive

Step-by-step solution

Understand the Question

Read the sentence carefully to understand what it is asking. The sentence talks about cabinet departments like the Department of Defense and Department of Justice and asks to identify the branch of government they belong to.

Review the Branches of Government

Recall that there are three branches of the U.S. government: the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judicial branch.

Identify the Branch Associated with Cabinet Departments

Cabinet departments are parts of the executive branch of the government. They are responsible for implementing laws and running the day-to-day operations of the government.

Select the Correct Answer

Based on the above information, the correct answer to fill in the blank is 'executive.'

Key concepts

executive branch

The executive branch is one of the three main branches of the United States government. It is responsible for enforcing and implementing the laws passed by Congress.
The executive branch is headed by the President of the United States, who also serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. The President has the power to sign bills into law or veto them.
Other key figures in the executive branch include the Vice President and members of the President’s Cabinet. The President’s Cabinet consists of the heads of the executive departments, such as the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense.
Together, they help the President with decision-making and execution of federal laws.

U.S. government structure

The U.S. government is structured into three primary branches: the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judicial branch. Each branch has its own distinct powers and responsibilities to ensure a system of checks and balances.
The legislative branch, comprised of the House of Representatives and the Senate, is responsible for creating laws. They discuss, draft, and vote on proposed laws.
The judicial branch interprets the laws and determines their constitutionality. The Supreme Court is the highest court in this branch, but there are also lower courts.
This structure was designed to prevent any single branch from gaining too much power and to make sure that the government works efficiently for its citizens.

cabinet departments

Cabinet departments are a crucial part of the executive branch. They are specialized entities responsible for specific areas of government policy, administration, and enforcement.
Each department is headed by a Secretary, who is a member of the President’s Cabinet, except the Department of Justice, which is headed by the Attorney General.
For example, the Department of Defense oversees military operations, while the Department of Education focuses on national educational policy.
These departments work to ensure that the policies and laws enacted by Congress are put into practice effectively across the nation.
The heads of these departments advise the President on issues relevant to their areas and work together to implement the administration’s agenda.