What constitutional mechanism prevents concentration of power by separating and balancing governmental branches?

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Checks and balances is the system that prevents concentration of power by dividing government into three branches and giving each the means to limit the others. Congress makes laws, the president enforces them, and the courts interpret them. Because each branch has certain powers over the others—presidential vetoes and the ability of Congress to override, Senate confirmation of appointments and treaties, and courts that can strike down laws or actions—no single branch can accumulate unchecked authority. Judicial review is a tool within this system, but the overall mechanism that ensures balance is checks and balances themselves. Other options touch on related ideas—federalism deals with national versus state power, and popular sovereignty emphasizes consent of the people—but they do not describe the cross-branch balance mechanism.