The State Governments
Each state has its own constitution which it uses as the basis for laws. All state constitutions must abide by the framework set up under the national Constitution. Therefore, in basic structure state constitutions much resemble the U.S. Constitution. They contain a preamble, a bill of rights, articles that describe separation of powers between the executive, legislative and judicial branches, and a framework for setting up local governments.
Length and Specificity
The Legislature
Like the national legislature, each house in a state legislature has a presiding officer. The Lieutenant Governor presides over the Senate, but the majority leader assumes most of the leadership roles. The house elects a Speaker who serves as its leader. Leaders of each house are responsible for recognizing speakers in debate, referring bills to committee, and presiding over deliberations. States grant legislatures a variety of functions:
Governor
Other Elected Positions Within the Executive Branch
The president and vice-president are the only elected executive positions within the federal government. State governments, however, often have other positions executive elected separately from the governor. Some examples include:
Revenue
Education.
One of the largest issue areas left to the discretion of the states is education. The United States' public education system is administered mostly on the state and local levels. Elementary and Secondary schools receive funding from all the different levels of government: about 8% from the Federal Government, 50% from the State government, and 42% from local governments. State and local governments put more money toward education than any other cost. There are approximately 15,000 school districts around the country, each governed by its own school board. The people of the district vote the members of the school board into office. Generally about 15-30% of the local electorate participate in a typical school board election.
Some roles of a school board:
Grants & Mandates
Length and Specificity
- State constitutions also tend to be significantly more lengthy than the U.S. Constitution. State constitutions can contain as many as 174,000 words (Alabama), and have as many as 513 amendments attached (also Alabama). Much of this length is devoted to issues or areas of interest that are outdated. Oklahoma's constitution, for example, contains provisions that describe the correct temperature to test kerosene and oil. California has sections that describe everything that may be deemed tax-exempt, including specific organizations and fruit and nut trees under four years of age.
- All state constitutions provide for a means of amendment. The process is usually initiated when the legislature proposes the amendment by a majority or supermajority vote, after which the people approve the amendment through a majority vote. Amendments can also be proposed by a constitutional convention or, in some states, through an initiative petition.
The Legislature
- All states have a bicameral, or two-house legislature, except Nebraska, which has a unicameral, or single, house. Legislative salaries range from nothing (Kentucky and Montana) to $57,500 (New York) per year. In states where there is no official salary, Legislators are often paid on a per diem basis (i.e. Rhode Island Legislators earn $5 per day).
- called the Senate.
- membership can range from 21 (Delaware) to 67 (Minnesota).
- terms usually last four years.
- called the House of Representatives, General Assembly, or House of Delegates (Virginia),
- membership can range from 40 (Alaska and Nevada) to 400 (New Hampshire).
- terms usually last two years.
Like the national legislature, each house in a state legislature has a presiding officer. The Lieutenant Governor presides over the Senate, but the majority leader assumes most of the leadership roles. The house elects a Speaker who serves as its leader. Leaders of each house are responsible for recognizing speakers in debate, referring bills to committee, and presiding over deliberations. States grant legislatures a variety of functions:
- Enact laws
- Represent the needs of their constituents
- Share budget-making responsibilities with Governor
- Confirm nominations of state officials
- House begins impeachment proceedings, Senate conducts the trial if there is an impeachment.
- Casework
- Oversight - review of the executive branch. (e.g., sunset legislation)
- Legislators don't wield the only legislative power in state government. In many states, the people can perform legislative functions directly. The ways by which these methods can be implicated vary, but they usually require a certain number of signatures on a petition. After that, the issue is put on the ballot for a general vote.
- Initiative - A way citizens can bypass the legislature and pass laws or amend the state constitution through a direct vote.
- Referendum - A way citizens can approve of statutes or constitutional changes proposed by the legislature through a direct vote.
- Recall - A way citizens can remove elected officials from office. It is allowed in 14 states and is hardly ever used.
Governor
- The Governor is a state's chief executive. A governor can serve either a two or four year term. Thirty-seven states have term limits on the governor.
- Appointments - The Governor is chiefly responsible for making appointments to state agencies and offices. These powers include:
- The ability to appoint for specific posts in the executive branch.
- The ability to appoint to fill a vacancy caused by the death or resignation of an elected official
- Chief of State
- Chief Executive - draws up budget, also has clemency and military powers
- Veto Power
- Like the U.S. President, a governor has the right to veto bills passed by the legislature.
- Vetoes can be overridden by a two-thirds or three-fourths majority in the legislature.
- In many states, the governor has the power of a line-item veto.
- In some states, the governor has the power of an amendatory or conditional veto.
- General Governor Information
Other Elected Positions Within the Executive Branch
The president and vice-president are the only elected executive positions within the federal government. State governments, however, often have other positions executive elected separately from the governor. Some examples include:
- Lieutenant Governor: Succeeds the governor in office and presides over the senate.
- Secretary of State - Takes care of public records and documents, also may have many other responsibilities.
- Attorney General - Responsible for representing the state in all court cases.
- Auditor - Makes sure that public money has been spent legally.
- Treasurer - Invests and pays out state funds.
- Superintendent of Public Instruction - Heads state department of education.
Revenue
- Like the Federal government, state and local governments also have debts. In 2010, total state and local government debt totaled $2.39 trillion. The per capita debt towards state and local governments across the country is about $7600. Debts range from about $2.3 billion in Wyoming to over $269 billion in New York.
- Insurance Trust Revenue relates to the money that the state takes in for administering programs such as retirement, unemployment compensation, and other social insurance systems.
- Services and Fees include items such as tolls, liquor sales, lottery ticket sales, income from college tuition, and hospital charges.
- State-run liquor stores are in operation in 19 states. Some states also make money through administration of utilities.
- Lotteries. In 2011, 43 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have adopted some sort of gambling, most in the form of instant-winner or "drawing" lotteries. About 1 percent of state revenue comes from gambling. Lotteries can be very profitable for the state. Generally 50% of the proceeds go to winners, 10% to administration costs, and 40% to the state's general fund. Profits from lotteries have been used towards funding education, economic development, and environmental programs. Net income from state lotteries totaled $16.9 billion in 2006. (source)
- Debt. Like the Federal government, state governments also have debts. In 1994, total state government debt had reached $410 billion. The per capita debt towards state governments across the country is about $1500. Debts range from about $700 million in Wyoming to over $65 billion in New York.
- State Taxes come in many different forms:
- Most states have a sales tax. The sales tax is assessed on most consumer goods in the state and ranges from 4% to 7%.
- Most states also have a state income tax, similar to the one used by the federal government. People can pay up to 16% of taxable income in state income taxes. Most states have a progressive sales tax. About 37% of state tax revenue is obtained through the personal income tax. Corporate income tax is also assessed on corporate income, a sum that accounts for 7% of state tax revenue.
- States levy taxes on motor fuels such as gasoline, diesel, and gasohol. Most of the funds go towards financing roads and transportation within the state.
- Sin taxes apply to alcoholic beverages and tobacco products. These taxes are named as such because they were originally intended to decrease consumption of these "undesirable" goods.
- Most states also have inheritance taxes, where a person pays a percentage of what he or she inherits from a deceased person.
Education.
One of the largest issue areas left to the discretion of the states is education. The United States' public education system is administered mostly on the state and local levels. Elementary and Secondary schools receive funding from all the different levels of government: about 8% from the Federal Government, 50% from the State government, and 42% from local governments. State and local governments put more money toward education than any other cost. There are approximately 15,000 school districts around the country, each governed by its own school board. The people of the district vote the members of the school board into office. Generally about 15-30% of the local electorate participate in a typical school board election.
Some roles of a school board:
- Administer general district policy
- Make sure the district is in tune with local interests
- Hire or fire the superintendent
- Drafting the budget
- Overseeing the principals of schools within the district
- General administration within the district
- Communication with the chief state school official (CSSO).
- distribute state funds
- establish teacher certification requirements
- define length of the school day
- defines nutritional content of school lunches
- mandate certain curricula for schools and set the school calendar
Grants & Mandates
- States must also administer mandates set by the federal government. Generally these mandates contain rules which the states wouldn't normally carry out. For example, the federal government may require states to reduce air pollution, provide services for the handicapped, or require that public transportation must meet certain safety standards. The federal government is prohibited by law from setting unfunded mandates. In other words, the federal government must provide funding for programs it mandates.
- The federal government pays for its mandates through grants-in-aid. The government distributes categorical grants to be used for specific programs. In 1995, federal grant money totaled $229 billion. Block grants give the states access to large sums of money with few specific limitations. The state must only meet the federal goals and standards. The national government can give the states either formula grants or project grants (most commonly issued).
- Mandates can also pass from the state to local levels. For example, the state can set certain education standards that the local school districts must abide by. Or, states could set rules calling for specific administration of local landfills.
"Government 101: State Governments." Project Vote Smart - American Government, Elections, Candidates and Voting. Project Vote Smart, n.d. Web. 14 July 2015. <http://votesmart.org/education/states#.VaV4pq5Viko>.