Which system of municipal government most resembles the federal government’s separation of powers?
a.“weak mayor” mayor-council system
b.“strong mayor” mayor-council system
c. commission system
d. council-manager system

B. "Strong mayor" mayor-council system. In a "strong mayor" mayor council system, the mayor is the chief executive of the government, similar to the role of the executive branch of the federal government. The council acts as the primary legislative body for the city, similar to the legislative branch of the federal government. The "weak mayor" system would not be comparable to the federal government's separation of powers, because in the weak mayor system the mayor has less administrative authority and the council controls the government more fully. The "commission" system is not like the federal government's system because there is no executive officer -- the commission handles both legislative and executive duties. And the "council-manager" system doesn't compare well to the federal system either, because the power is all in the hands of the elected council, and they hire someone with managerial experience to work for them in handling administrative duties. That would be like Congress hiring someone to implement its policies, rather than having an elected president in a separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches.