What is one branch of the U.S. federal government?

The correct answer is legislative. The U.S. federal government is structured into three main branches: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial. The legislative branch is responsible for making laws and is embodied by Congress, which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. This branch has the power to create legislation, approve budgets, and establish federal policies, making it fundamental to the functioning of the government.

In contrast, the other options refer to different systems or levels of government. The parliamentary system is typically associated with countries like the United Kingdom where the executive branch derives its legitimacy from the legislature; it is not a branch of the U.S. government. The state option refers to individual state governments, which operate independently from the federal structure, and do not constitute a branch of the federal government. Monarchical refers to a system of governance led by a monarch (king or queen), which is not applicable to the framework of the U.S. government, as it operates as a constitutional republic rather than under a monarchy.