State

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Chapter 18

• State Local Government

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State Constitutions

• are subject to the supremacy clause of the United
  States Constitution
• usually are long
• typically provide for an executive, a legislative
  branch and a judiciary

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State Government

• Executive branch tends to be very weak, though
  governors power is increasing
• in 43 states governors have line-item veto,
  increasing their power in the area of
  appropriations
• State legislatures remain an important force in
  state politics
• legislatures allocate funds
• legislatures often formulate the policy agenda
• State Judiciaries
• each state has its own court system

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Direct Democracy in State Government

• Tools of direct democracy include
• legislative initiative voters gather signatures
  on a petition to place an issue on the ballot for
  voters approval
• referendum when the legislature refers a
  measure (either a legislative matter or a
  constitutional matter) to the voters for their
  approval or disapproval
• recall the procedure enabling voters to remove
  an elected officials from office before his or
  her term has expired

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The Legal Existence of Local Government Two
Competing Views

• Dillons Rule the narrowest interpretation of
  the legal status of local governments, it states
  that a municipal corporation can exercise only
  those powers expressly granted by state law
  (outlined by Judge John F. Dillon in 1811)
• Cooleys Rule is the view that cities should be
  able to govern themselves (outlined by Judge
  Thomas Cooley in 1871)

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Local Government Units

• Municipalities political entity created by the
  people of a city or town to govern themselves
  locally (over 19,000 in the U.S. now)
• Counties the chief governmental unit set up by
  the state to administer state law and business at
  the local level
• Towns unique creation in the New England
  states, it combines the role of city and county
  in one governing unit

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Local Government Units (cont.)

• Townships a rural government in some states
  that operates somewhat like a county (but there
  will be numerous townships within one county)
• Special Districts and School Districts the most
  numerous unit of local government special
  districts are one-function governments created by
  state legislatures (may be called authorities,
  boards or corporations)

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