State government
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A state government (provincial government in Canada) is the government of a subnational entity in States with federal forms of government, which shares political power with the federal government or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonomy, or be subject to the direct control of the federal government. This relationship may be mediated by a constitution.
The reference to "state" denotes subnational entities which are officially or widely known as "states", and should not be confused with "State". Provinces are usually divisions of unitary States. Their governments, which are also provincial governments, are not the subject of this article.
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[edit] United States
Under the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, all governmental powers not granted to the United States Federal Government by the Constitution are reserved for the states. The governments of the 13 colonies which formed the original union under the Constitution trace their history back to the royal charters which established them during the year of colonialism. Most other states were organized as federal territories before forming their own governments and requesting admittance into the union. Notable exceptions are Vermont, Texas and Hawaii, which were sovereign nations before joining the union.
[edit] Structure
All U.S. states have a written constitution and a three-branch government modeled on the U.S. federal government. While the U.S. Constitution mandates that each state shall have a "republican form" of government, this particular structure is not mandatory.
[edit] Executive
The executive branch of every state is headed by an elected governor. Most states also have a lieutenant governor.
[edit] Legislative
The legislative branch is bicameral in all states except one. In the majority of states (26), the state's legislature—that is, the upper and lower house referred to as one—is simply called "The Legislature". Another 19 states name their legislature the "General Assembly", while the legislatures of Oregon and North Dakota share the appellation "Legislative Assembly". The most unique moniker for a state legislature is "General Court", which is used by both Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Nebraska's legislature is unique, in that it is unicameral. While the Nebraska legislature is officially known, like most, as the "Legislature", it is more commonly called the "Senate", as its members are officially called "Senators".
- Upper House
In all 49 states with bicameral legislatures, the upper house is referred to as the "Senate".
Until 1964, state senators were generally elected from districts that were not necessarily equal in population. In some cases state senate districts were based partly on county lines; in the vast majority of states the senate districts provided proportionately greater representation to rural areas. However, in the 1964 decision Reynolds v. Sims, the US Supreme Court decreed that, unlike the United States Senate, state senates must be elected from districts of approximately equal population.
- Lower House
In 41 of the 49 states with lower houses, the lower house is called the "House of Representatives". The name "House of Delegates" is used in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. California and Wisconsin call their lower house the "State Assembly", while Nevada and New York simply call the lower house the "Assembly". And New Jersey calls its lower house the "General Assembly".
[edit] Judicial
The judicial branch is typically headed by a state supreme court which hears appeals from lower state courts. The structure of courts and the methods by which judges are elected or appointed are determined by legislation or the state constitution. Oddly, New York's highest court is called the Court of Appeals, while its trial court is known as the Supreme Court.
