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Which three powers are separated in a democracy?
Model-written, not yet read by a native reader.
Correct answer: Legislative, executive and judicial. The three powers are the legislative (Parliament votes the laws), the executive (the Government applies the law and makes sure it is respected) and the judicial (the judicial authority checks that the laws are applied). They are separate. So no single person holds all the power.
Sources: Sheet “État de droit et séparation des pouvoirs : présentation des 3 pouvoirs (2/2)” (French), read on 21 October 2026. Answer written by Hexaciv from this source. Hexaciv is an independent preparation tool. It is not an official website, is not linked to any government body and does not give legal advice. The authoritative source is the Ministry of the Interior's, cited on this page.
The four choices and why
- ✗ Legislative, military and religiousLégislatif, militaire et religieuxNeither the army nor religion is one of the three powers.
- ✓ Legislative, executive and judicialLégislatif, exécutif et judiciaireCorrect answer. The three powers are the legislative (Parliament votes the laws), the executive (the Government applies the law and makes sure it is respected) and the judicial (the judicial authority checks that the laws are applied). They are separate. So no single person holds all the power.
- ✗ Executive, media and economicExécutif, médiatique et économiqueThe media and the economy are not powers of the State.
- ✗ Judicial, local and EuropeanJudiciaire, local et européenThe judiciary is one of them, but "local" and "European" are not powers: the legislative and the executive are missing.
How it reads on exam day
The exam is in French, so this is the question you will see: « Quels sont les trois pouvoirs séparés dans une démocratie ? ». Learn the English idea above and the French words in the options.
This question is on the official list for the resident card (CR) and for the multi-year residence card (CSP) and on the naturalisation list (PDF read on 14 October 2026). The Ministry's wording: “La séparation des pouvoirs est un principe fondamental. Quels sont les trois pouvoirs concernés ?”.
Where the Ministry explains it
Sheet “État de droit et séparation des pouvoirs : présentation des 3 pouvoirs (2/2)” (French).
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