Which of the following is a branch of the U.S. government?

Congress is a branch of the U.S. government, specifically part of the legislative branch. The U.S. government is divided into three primary branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. Congress is responsible for making laws and is composed of two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. This structure ensures a system of checks and balances among the different branches, preventing any single branch from becoming too powerful.

In contrast, while the police department handles law enforcement at the local or state level, it does not constitute a branch of the federal government. The Federal Reserve is an independent central banking system that regulates monetary policy but is not a part of the three branches of government. The Department of Education is an executive agency responsible for federal education policy and administration but is not, in itself, a separate branch.