State and Local Government

States as well as the people have powers that the federal government does not have, and these authorities are divided between state and local governments.

The majority of Americans have more interactions with their state and local governments than with the federal government. State and municipal governments are normally in charge of police agencies, libraries, and schools, as well as driver’s licences and parking tickets. 

Every state does have its own written constitution, which is typically significantly more detailed than the federal constitution. The Alabama Constitution, for instance, has 310,296 words, which is more than 40 times the number of words in the United States Constitution.

The Executive, Legislative, & Judicial branches of all state governments are modelled after the federal government. The United States Constitution requires all states to maintain a “republican form” of government, though the 3-branch structure is optional.

1. Executive Branch:

The Executive Branch being led by a governor who is elected directly by the citizens of each state. In most states, other members of the executive branch are directly elected, including the lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, auditors, and commissioners. States maintain the right to organise in any way they see fit, hence executive structures vary widely.

2. Legislative Branch:

Legislative bodies in each of the 50 states are made up of elected representatives who analyse issues raised by the governor or introduced by the legislature’s members in order to develop legislation that becomes law. The legislature is also responsible for approving the state budget, proposing tax legislation, and initiating impeachment processes. The latter is part of a three-branch structure of checks and balances that parallels the federal system that prevents any branch from misusing its power.

Except for Nebraska, which has a unicameral legislature, all states have a bicameral legislature with two chambers: a smaller upper house and a larger lower house. The two chambers work together to enact State legislation and carry out other governing duties. (Nebraska is the only state with a single legislative chamber.) The Senate, the smaller upper chamber, is always referred to as such, and its members typically serve four-year terms. The House of Representatives is the most common name for the larger lower chamber, but some states call it the Assembly or the House of Delegates. Its members typically serve for a shorter period of time, usually two years.

3. Judicial Branch:

The State supreme court, which hears appeals from lower-level State courts, usually leads the judicial branches of the state. Legislation or the state constitution determine court structures as well as judicial appointments/elections. Because the supreme court focuses on correcting errors made by lower courts, no trials are held. 

Rulings made in State supreme courts are ordinarily binding; even so, when questions are raised concerning continuity with the U.S. Constitution, matters might well be appealed directly to United States Supreme Court.

Local Branch:

Counties, also known as the boroughs in Alaska & parishes in Louisiana, & municipalities, or cities/towns, are the two layers of local administration. According to state constitutions, municipalities can be organised in a variety of ways and are referred to as townships, villages, boroughs, cities, or towns. 

Municipal governments, which include cities, towns, boroughs (except in Alaska), villages, and townships, are organised around a population centre and, in most cases, correspond to the geographic designations used by the US Census Bureau for housing and population statistics reporting. 

Parks and recreation, police and fire departments, housing, emergency medical services, municipal courts, transit (including public transportation), and public works are all responsibilities of municipalities (streets, sewers, snow removal, signage, & so forth).

While the federal government & state government share authority in a variety of ways, the state must provide power to a local government. Mayors, municipal councils, as well as other governing bodies are typically directly elected by the general public.

Conclusion

The federal government issues currency, sets tax rates, administers federal welfare programmes, and makes foreign policy decisions. The federal government secures state and local governments’ cooperation by giving cash for federal initiatives such as affordable health insurance, road, airport, and highway construction, and pollution management.

The state government is in charge of all activities that occur within its borders. It oversees state welfare programmes like Medicaid and generates income taxes. It also administers the state criminal code, maintains state highways, and implements federal laws and programmes at the state level. Cases are heard in state and local courts, which interpret the state constitution & legislation. Local and state governments collaborate to run schools and guarantee that they meet state requirements.