Welcome back, citizens! Caroline here. By now you can probably just about name the three branches
of government in your sleep, right? Of course you have the legislative branch, made up of
the Senate and the House of Representatives; the executive, led by the president; and the judicial,
headed by the Supreme Court. But did you know that the same separation of powers
can be found in state governments as well? It's true! And I have another surprise for you later!
Our objectives today are to explain how the federal government's separation of
power into three branches was replicated by state governments, identify officials and
state and local governments within each branch, and summarize how the different
levels of government are examples of the checks and balances that limit the
federal government and protect citizen's rights. Let's start with a quick review.
You probably know some of the powers given to the president. Those include the power
to approve and veto laws, enforce laws, serve as head of the military, and propose a budget.
The two houses of Congress are elected to make laws and determine how money is spent, among other
things. And the Supreme Court interprets laws and reviews rulings made by the lower federal courts,
which are district and appellate courts. Remember also that all federal judges are appointed by the
president and approved by the Senate, while the president and all members of Congress are elected.
In numerous ways, state governments mimic this separation of powers.
Let's look first at the executive branch at the state level.
Do you know the title for the elected leader of a U.S. state?
If you said governor, great work! A governor is like a president for state. All 50 states have
one, and they are all elected to four-year terms, just like the federal government's executive
branch. Similarly, a governor enforces laws, proposes laws, and can sign or veto laws passed
by state legislature. Governors propose budgets for their state and manage state agencies. They
also deal with other states, and in some cases the federal government. States don't have their own
military, but a governor can call for the National Guard to assist in emergency situations such as a
natural disaster. The legislative branch of state governments is similar as well. All are elected,
and most are called either the state legislature or the general assembly. All are bicameral, except
Nebraska! Several of you remembered! The other 49 states have an elected Senate and House of
Representatives, like Congress. The number of members in each varies from state to state.
State legislatures make laws and decide how money will be spent, just like their federal
counterparts in Washington. And every state has a judicial branch, although they vary as to how
they're set up and how judges are selected. The names vary, but basically each state has levels
of courts similar to the U.S. - supreme, appeals, and district courts for general jurisdiction of
criminal offenses and civil suits. The judges for those courts are selected by several different
methods, and sometimes even in the same state it differs for judges on the Supreme Court and lower
courts. The two most common methods are assisted appointment, in which the governor appoints judges
based on a list of recommended candidates from a nominating committee; and non-partisan elections,
in which citizens elect judges, but no political affiliation is attached to the candidates. And if
you think the federal and state governments have a lot of similarities, and wait just a moment!
There's actually other levels of government that provide another separation of power.
Surprise! States actually separate power even more, by giving much of it to local governments
at the city and county levels. There's no mention of city or county governments in the
U.S Constitution. Instead, all local governments are under the authority of state governments and
their constitutions. You heard that right! All 50 states have their own state constitution,
and included in those are details about the government structures of cities and counties.
Most cities have an executive leader, and the most common title is mayor. Most mayors are
elected, and they have many duties similar to a president or governor, just on a smaller scale.
Part of their job is to enforce and carry out laws for a city. Mayors also propose budgets,
manage the city government, and serve as a liaison and public face of the city they represent.
Most cities also have elected officials to represent citizens in making local laws. The
names vary, but city council is probably the most common term. They pass legislation and
approve the budget, like their counterparts of the federal and state levels. States have county
governments as well. Most are set up similar to the city government model just described, and many
use the term commission. Though some states use terms such as parish or borough instead of county.
Most have an elected executive, but some select an individual from an elected county commission
to conduct meetings. A growing trend is for city and county governments to merge. This can help
cut down on administrative costs and replication of services. For example, a city council would be
merged with a county commission, leaving only one legislative body. Same thing for some services, as
the city police and county sheriff's office would be combined. Staffing for other services would
also be merged and streamlined. But states give cities and counties a lot of responsibility. It's
this level of government that registers voters, supervises elections, provides police protection,
administers health services, collects taxes, provides public utilities such as electricity
and water, maintains records such as births and deaths, marriages and divorces, and more.
This helps and protect citizens by allowing easier and quicker access to government services,
and gives people the right to elect government officials at three and sometimes four different
levels. Oh, and the judicial branch? Though courts are managed by state governments,
they are spread out among counties and cities to more efficiently and effectively serve the people.
The three branches of government found at the federal level are used also at the state level,
and can be found even at local levels in both city and county governments. This sets up a
tiered system of government in which much responsibility falls on local officials,
perhaps more than many citizens realize. This is why keeping tabs on elections for city council,
county commissioner, and even the local school board, is an important responsibility.
Many Americans may even be more directly affected by their mayor than the president.
This system also offers similar powers at those different levels
of government - something we'll discuss more in future lessons. Until then, vote, debate,
and participate! A good start, of course, would be locally. And remember to always be clever!