If Congress passes laws to restrain the executive, Donald Trump would likely ignore them and challenge them at the Supreme Court

Bicameral federal legislature of the United States, made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives, which writes law, controls federal spending and oversees the executive branch. Its two chambers represent states and districts on different terms and hold different constitutional powers.

Federal and state court systems of the United States, judicial appointments, constitutional interpretation and the rulings that decide policy when the other branches deadlock. Life tenure for federal judges makes each confirmation a durable political stake rather than a procedural step.

Highest court in the United States federal judiciary, with nine justices who interpret the Constitution and settle disputes the lower courts leave unresolved. Its rulings decide policy the elected branches cannot agree on, which is why each vacancy becomes a political event.