11. A president can release a criminal from punishment through a _________.*1 pointCommuteReprievePardonAmnesty

The correct answer is Pardon.

Explanation:

A pardon is a governmental decision to allow a person to be relieved of the legal consequences of a criminal conviction. It effectively removes the legal penalties associated with a crime. Other terms such as commute and reprieve offer different forms of relief but do not equate to a full pardon. Commutation reduces the severity of a sentence, while reprieve temporarily halts the punishment without extinguishing the conviction itself. Amnesty generally refers to a broader release from prosecution for a group of people, not just an individual case.

In this context, the word that fills the blank appropriately to indicate the power of the president to forgive a criminal is "Pardon."