99-626: Nathaniel Silsbee (January 14, 1773 – July 14, 1850) was a ship master, merchant and American politician from Salem, Massachusetts . Silsbee was the eldest child of Capt. Nathaniel and Sarah (Becket) Silsbee. At the age of fourteen, to support his family upon the financial failures of his father, he went to sea and learned navigation. His able seamanship won him, at the age of nineteen, command of Elias Hasket Derby 's Sloop "Sally". Silsbee continued commanding Derby vessels and had many interesting adventures and exploits with privateers, French Consuls, and such. In 1795 he became part owner of
198-592: A Republican governor and 23 states with a Democratic governor. Four Democrats (including the Mayor of the District of Columbia ), one Independent, and one New Progressive also occupy territorial governorships or mayorships. No independent and other third parties currently hold a state governorship. For each term, governors serve four years in office. The exceptions are Vermont and New Hampshire where tenures are two years long. The longest-serving current governor
297-438: A blanket primary against each other. Regardless of political party, the top two candidates move on to the general election. In Louisiana, the general election occurs between the top two candidates if no candidate obtains more than 50% of the votes cast, and is cancelled if one of the candidates receives more than 50%. In California and Washington, the top two vote getters proceed to the general election regardless of how many votes
396-483: A faithless elector ). Both federal and state laws regulate elections. The United States Constitution defines (to a basic extent) how federal elections are held, in Article One and Article Two and various amendments . State law regulates most aspects of electoral law, including primaries, the eligibility of voters (beyond the basic constitutional definition), the running of each state's electoral college, and
495-473: A governor , a legislative body, and a judicial branch. At the local level, governments are found in counties or county-equivalents , and beneath them individual municipalities , townships , school districts , and special districts . Officials are popularly elected at the federal, state and local levels, with the major exception being the President, who is instead elected indirectly by the people through
594-491: A sole commissioner , who is assisted by boards to supervise taxes and elections. Town or township governments are organized local governments authorized in the state constitutions and statutes of 20 Northeastern and Midwestern states, established as minor civil divisions to provide general government for a geographic subdivision of a county where there is no municipality. In New York, Wisconsin and New England, these county subdivisions are called towns . In many other states,
693-475: A 1996 referendum. In 47 of the 50 states, whenever there is a vacancy of one of the state's U.S. Senate seats, that state's governor has the power to appoint someone to fill the vacancy until a special election is held; the governors of Oregon , Alaska , and Wisconsin do not have this power. A state governor may give an annual State of the State address in order to satisfy a constitutional stipulation that
792-621: A candidate for office, but deciding who will be the party's candidate in the general election is usually done in primaries open to voters who register as Democrats or Republicans. Furthermore, elected officials who fail to "toe the party line" because of constituent opposition said line and "cross the aisle" to vote with the opposition have (relatively) little to fear from their party. Parties have state or federal committees that act as hubs for fundraising and campaigning (see Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee ) and separate campaign committees that work to elect candidates at
891-583: A considerable role in legislation. The governor may also have additional roles, such as that of commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard (when not federalized) and of that state's respective defense force (which is not subject to federalization). In many states and territories the governor also has partial or absolute power to commute or pardon a criminal sentence . All U.S. governors serve four-year terms except those in New Hampshire and Vermont , who serve two-year terms. In all states,
990-511: A defined area, generally corresponding to a population center rather than one of a set of areas into which a county is divided. The category includes those governments designated as cities, boroughs (except in Alaska ), towns (except in Minnesota and Wisconsin), and villages. This concept corresponds roughly to the " incorporated places" that are recognized in by the U.S. Census Bureau, although
1089-592: A framework of a constitutional federal republic . The three distinct branches share powers : the U.S. Congress which forms the legislative branch, a bicameral legislative body comprising the House of Representatives and the Senate ; the executive branch , which is headed by the president of the United States , who serves as the country's head of state and government ; and the judicial branch , composed of
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#17327725109341188-460: A governor has strong budget controls, appointment authority, and veto powers are examples of institutional powers. In colonial North America, governors were chosen in a variety of ways, depending on how the colony was organized. In the crown colonies of Great Britain, France, and Spain, the governor was chosen by the ruling monarch of the colonizing power, or his designees; in British colonies,
1287-399: A governor must report annually (or in older constitutions described as being "from time to time") on the state or condition of the state. Governors of states may also perform ceremonial roles, such as greeting dignitaries, conferring state decorations, issuing symbolic proclamations or attending the state fair . The governor may also have an official residence (see Governor's Mansion ). In
1386-456: A higher salary than the $ 174,000 paid to members of Congress. In many states, the governor is not the highest-paid state employee; most often, that distinction is held by the head football or men's basketball coach at a major state university. All states except Louisiana hold gubernatorial elections on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November. The earliest possible date for
1485-468: A list of names submitted by a nominations committee. All with the exception of four states and one territory ( Maine , New Hampshire , Oregon , Puerto Rico , and Wyoming ) have a lieutenant governor . The lieutenant governor succeeds to the gubernatorial office (the powers and duties but not the office, in Massachusetts and West Virginia ), if vacated by impeachment, death, or resignation of
1584-657: A mass base, although appeals for small donations over the Internet have been successful. Opponents of campaign finance laws allege they interfere with the First Amendment 's guarantee of free speech. Even when laws are upheld, the complication of compliance with the First Amendment requires careful and cautious drafting of legislation, leading to laws that are still fairly limited in scope, especially in comparison to those of other developed democracies such as
1683-538: A part of the county government. In others, survey townships are non-governmental. Towns in the six New England states and townships in New Jersey and Pennsylvania are included in this category by the Census Bureau, despite the fact that they are legally municipal corporations , since their structure has no necessary relation to concentration of population, which is typical of municipalities elsewhere in
1782-418: A political party or seek public office as independents. Each state has significant discretion in deciding how candidates are nominated and thus eligible to appear on a given election ballot. Major party candidates are typically formally chosen in a party primary or convention , whereas candidates from minor parties and Independent candidates must complete a petitioning process. The current two-party system in
1881-543: A popular ballot, or to place legislation that has recently been passed by a legislature on a ballot for a popular vote. Initiatives and referendums, along with recall elections and popular primary elections, are signature reforms of the Progressive Era ; they are written into several state constitutions, particularly in the Western states, but not found at the federal level. The United States Census Bureau conducts
1980-465: A ranking of the power of the governorship in all 50 states, University of North Carolina political scientist Thad Beyle makes the distinction between "personal powers" of governors, which are factors that vary from person to person, season to season – and the "institutional powers" that are set in place by law. Examples of measurable personal factors are how large a governor's margin of victory was on election day, and standing in public opinion polls. Whether
2079-403: A reduction in their salary instead of refusing it entirely. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo took a 5 percent reduction in his salary in 2015, and Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear reduced his salary by 10 percent during the same year. Only nine states (Massachusetts, California, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Virginia) currently offer their governors
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#17327725109342178-411: A specific level but do not direct candidates or their campaigns. In presidential elections, the party's candidate serves as the de facto party leader, whose popularity or lack thereof helps or hinders candidates further down the ballot. Midterm elections are usually considered a referendum on the sitting president's performance. Some (e.g., Lee Drutman and Daniel J. Hopkins before 2018) argue that, in
2277-504: A state is its popularly elected governor , who typically holds office for a four-year term (although in some states the term is two years). Except for Nebraska , which has unicameral legislature, all states have a bicameral legislature, with the upper house usually called the Senate and the lower house called the House of Representatives , the Assembly or something similar. In most states, senators serve four-year terms, and members of
2376-400: A variety of tools, among them executive orders , executive budgets, and legislative proposals and vetoes. Governors carry out their management and leadership responsibilities and objectives with the support and assistance of department and agency heads, many of whom they are empowered to appoint. A majority of governors have the authority to appoint state court judges as well, in most cases from
2475-575: Is Jay Inslee of Washington , who was re-elected to his third term in 2020. The longest-serving governor of all time was Terry Branstad of Iowa , who was elected to his sixth (non-consecutive) term in 2014 . Governor Branstad resigned on May 24, 2017, to become the United States Ambassador to China. He held the title of Governor of Iowa for 22 years. On December 14, 2015, he became the longest-serving governor in US history, breaking
2574-629: Is black, Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico , who is of Hispanic descent; Chris Sununu of New Hampshire , who is of Lebanese, Palestinian, Latin American, Irish and British descent; and Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma , who is a member of the Cherokee Nation . Sununu and Stitt are Republicans , while Grisham and Moore are Democrats . Among the five U.S. territories, one Hispanic ( Pedro Pierluisi of Puerto Rico ), one Black ( Albert Bryan of
2673-666: Is divided into three branches, as per the specific terms articulated in the U.S. Constitution: The federal government's layout is explained in the Constitution. Two political parties , the Democratic Party and the Republican Party , have dominated American politics since the American Civil War , although other parties have existed . There are major differences between the political system of
2772-447: Is nearly universal for citizens 18 years of age and older, with the notable exception of registered felons in some states. The United States is a constitutional federal republic , in which the president (the head of state and head of government ), Congress , and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments. The federal government
2871-752: Is the administrative subdivision of the state, authorized by state constitutions and statutes. The county equivalents in Louisiana are called parishes , while those in Alaska are called boroughs . The specific governmental powers of counties vary widely between the states. In some states, mainly in New England , they are primarily used as judicial districts. In other states, counties have broad powers in housing, education, transportation and recreation. County government has been eliminated throughout Connecticut , Rhode Island , and in parts of Massachusetts ; while
2970-1070: Is the only state with an older minimum age requirement, age 31 years old or older. Some states require the governor to be a qualified elector/voter, implying a minimum age of 18. Vermont requires candidates to be residents of the state for at least four years as of Election Day, which would preclude small children from running, but has no other implicit or explicit age limit. As of January 2023, there are 38 male state governors. The 12 female governors are: Kay Ivey of Alabama , Katie Hobbs of Arizona , Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas , Kim Reynolds of Iowa , Laura Kelly of Kansas , Janet Mills of Maine , Maura Healey of Massachusetts , Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan , Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico , Kathy Hochul of New York , Tina Kotek of Oregon , and Kristi Noem of South Dakota . Of those, Ivey, Huckabee Sanders, Noem, and Reynolds are Republicans , while Hobbs, Kelly, Mills, Healey, Whitmer, Grisham, Hochul, and Kotek are Democrats . Four territorial governors are male; one territorial governor and
3069-680: The Board of Trade was often the primary decision maker. Colonies based on a corporate charter, such as the Connecticut Colony and the Massachusetts Bay Colony , elected their own governors based on rules spelled out in the charter or other colonial legislation. In proprietary colonies , such as the Province of Carolina before it became a crown colony (and was divided into North and South ), governors were chosen by
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3168-641: The Electoral College . American politics is dominated by two parties , which since the American Civil War have been the Democratic Party and the Republican Party , although other parties have run candidates . Since the mid-20th century, the Democratic Party has generally supported left-leaning policies, while the Republican Party has generally supported right-leaning ones. Both parties have no formal central organization at
3267-644: The Farmer-Labor Party , Wisconsin Progressive Party , Conservative Party of New York State , and the Populist Party ); or continued to run candidates for office to publicize some issue despite seldom winning even local elections ( Libertarian Party , Natural Law Party , Peace and Freedom Party ). Factors reinforcing the two-party system include: Governor (United States) ( Alabama to Missouri , Montana to Wyoming ) In
3366-476: The Insular Cases , which were a series of 1901 Supreme Court cases that some consider to be reflective of imperialism and racist views held in the United States. Unequal access to political participation in US territories has also been criticized for affecting US citizens who move to territories, as such an action requires forfeiting the full voting rights that they would have held in the 50 states. As in
3465-565: The LGBTQ community: Jared Polis (Colorado), who is gay, and Tina Kotek (Oregon) and Maura Healey (Massachusetts) who are lesbians. Ethnic minorities as defined by the United States Census currently constitute 38.9% of the total population of the U.S. as of 2018. There are currently 46 state governors who are non-Hispanic whites of European American background. There are 4 minority governors: Wes Moore of Maryland , who
3564-704: The Lords Proprietor who controlled the colony. In the early years of the American Revolutionary War , eleven of the Thirteen Colonies evicted (with varying levels of violence) royal and proprietary governors. The other two colonies ( Connecticut and Rhode Island ) had corporate charters; Connecticut Governor Jonathan Trumbull was governor before and during the war period, while in Rhode Island, Governor Joseph Wanton
3663-608: The New Deal , and increasingly since the 1960s, the Democratic Party has generally positioned itself as a center-left party, while the Republican Party has generally positioned itself as center-right ; there are other factions within each. Unlike in many other countries, the major political parties in America have no strong central organization that determines party positions and policies, rewards loyal members and officials, or expels rebels. A party committee or convention may endorse
3762-532: The Northern Mariana Islands , Puerto Rico , and the U.S. Virgin Islands ; as well as minor outlying islands such as Baker Island , Howland Island , Jarvis Island , Johnston Atoll , Kingman Reef , Midway Atoll , Navassa Island , Palmyra Atoll , Wake Island , and others. American Samoa is the only territory with a native resident population and is governed by a local authority. Despite
3861-1466: The Reconstruction era . Thirteen of the current state governors were born outside the state they are serving: Mike Dunleavy of Alaska (born in Pennsylvania), Ned Lamont of Connecticut (born in Washington, D.C.), Josh Green of Hawaii (born in New York), J. B. Pritzker of Illinois (born in California), Laura Kelly of Kansas (born in New York), Maura Healey of Massachusetts (born in Maryland), Tim Walz of Minnesota (born in Nebraska), Greg Gianforte of Montana (born in California), Joe Lombardo of Nevada (born in Japan), Phil Murphy of New Jersey (born in Massachusetts), Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma (born in Florida), Tina Kotek of Oregon (born in Pennsylvania), Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania (born in Missouri), and Mark Gordon of Wyoming (born in New York). One governor, Joe Lombardo of Nevada,
3960-510: The Supreme Court and lower federal courts, and which exercises judicial power . Each of the 50 individual state governments has the power to make laws within its jurisdiction that are not granted to the federal government nor denied to the states in the U.S. Constitution. Each state also has a constitution following the pattern of the federal constitution but differing in details. Each has three branches: an executive branch headed by
4059-753: The Twenty-third Congress . He was a Whig presidential elector in 1836 . Silsbee resumed mercantile pursuits in Salem, where he died; interment in The Burying Point, the second oldest cemetery in the US. The Nathaniel Silsbee House is a historic building in Salem, maintained by the Knights of Columbus . Politics of the United States [REDACTED] [REDACTED] In the United States , politics functions within
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4158-452: The U.S. Virgin Islands ), and three Pacific Islander Americans ( Lou Leon Guerrero of Guam , Lemanu Peleti Mauga of American Samoa , and Arnold Palacios of the Northern Mariana Islands ) currently serve as governor. African-American Muriel Bowser is the current Mayor of the District of Columbia , an office equivalent to a governor. In 1990, Douglas Wilder of Virginia became the first African-American governor of any state since
4257-509: The United Kingdom and in other similar parliamentary systems , in the U.S. Americans eligible to vote, vote for an individual candidate (there are sometimes exceptions in local government elections) and not a party list. The U.S. government being a federal government, officials are elected at the federal (national), state and local levels. All members of Congress , and the offices at the state and local levels are directly elected, but
4356-498: The United Kingdom , France or Canada . The United States Constitution never formally addressed the issue of political parties , primarily because the Founding Fathers opposed them. Nevertheless, parties—specifically, two competing parties in a " two-party system "—have been a fundamental part of American politics since shortly after George Washington's presidency. In partisan elections, candidates are nominated by
4455-416: The United States , a governor serves as the chief executive and commander-in-chief in each of the fifty states and in the five permanently inhabited territories , functioning as head of state and head of government therein. While like all officials in the United States, checks and balances are placed on the office of the governor, significant powers may include ceremonial head of state (representing
4554-614: The Unorganized Borough area of Alaska (which makes up about a half of the area of the state) does not operate under a county-level government at all. In areas that do not have any county governmental function and are simply a division of land, services are provided either by lower level townships or municipalities, or the state. Counties may contain a number of cities , towns, villages, or hamlets . Some cities—including Philadelphia , Honolulu , San Francisco , Nashville , and Denver —are consolidated city-counties , where
4653-408: The executive powers, including law enforcement and provision of services, to a highly trained and experienced professional city manager. The council-manager plan has been adopted by a large number of cities. Under this plan, a small, elected council makes the city ordinances and sets policy, but hires a paid administrator, also called a city manager, to carry out its decisions. The manager draws up
4752-515: The federal government of the United States, and possess a number of powers and rights under the United States Constitution , such as regulating intrastate commerce, holding elections , creating local governments , and ratifying constitutional amendments . Each state has its own constitution , grounded in republican principles , and government, consisting of three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. Also, due to
4851-567: The 21st century, along with becoming overtly partisan , American politics has become overly focused on national issues and "nationalized" that even local offices, formerly dealing with local matters, now often mention the presidential election. "Third" political parties have appeared from time to time in American history but seldom lasted more than a decade. They have sometimes been the vehicle of an individual ( Theodore Roosevelt 's "Bull Moose" party , Ross Perot 's Reform Party ); had considerable strength in particular regions ( Socialist Party ,
4950-445: The Census Bureau excludes New England towns from their statistics for this category, and the count of municipal governments excludes places that are governmentally inactive. About 28 percent of Americans live in cities of 100,000 or more population. Types of city governments vary widely across the nation. Almost all have a central council, elected by the voters, and an executive officer, assisted by various department heads, to manage
5049-707: The Census of Governments every five years, categorizing four types of local governmental jurisdictions below the level of the state: In 2010, there were 89,500 total local governments, including 3,033 counties, 19,492 municipalities, 16,500 townships, 13,000 school districts, and 37,000 other special districts. Local governments directly serve the needs of the people, providing everything from police and fire protection to sanitary codes, health regulations, education, public transportation, and housing. Typically local elections are nonpartisan — local activists suspend their party affiliations when campaigning and governing. The county
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#17327725109345148-490: The Schooner "Betsy" and continued to prosper and master his own vessels. In 1801 he placed his brothers, William and Zachariah, in charge of his ships. Nathaniel continued owning vessels in partnerships until the 1840s, but he actively retired from shipping when he commenced his political career. Nathaniel married Mary Crowninshield, the daughter of one of Salem's wealthiest merchants, on December 12, 1802. Their son Nathaniel
5247-442: The United States and that of many other developed countries , including: The federal entity created by the U.S. Constitution is the dominant feature of the American governmental system, as citizens are also subject to a state government and various units of local government (such as counties , municipalities , and special districts ). State governments have the power to make laws on all subjects that are not granted to
5346-616: The United States is made up of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party . These two parties have won every United States presidential election since 1852 and have controlled the United States Congress since at least 1856. From time to time, a third party , such as the Green and Libertarian Parties , has achieved some minor representation at the national and state levels. Since the Great Depression and
5445-606: The United States. In particular, towns in New England have considerably more power than most townships elsewhere and often function as legally equivalent to cities, typically exercising the full range of powers that are divided between counties, townships, and cities in other states. Township functions are generally overseen by a governing board, whose name also varies from state to state. Municipal governments are organized local governments authorized in state constitutions and statutes, established to provide general government for
5544-510: The acting capacity for a short time. Arizona was the first state where a woman followed another woman as governor (they were from different parties). Arizona also has had the most female governors with a total of five, and is the first state to have three women in a row serve as governor. Washington was the first state to have both a female governor and female U.S. Senators serving at the same time ( Christine Gregoire ; Patty Murray ; Maria Cantwell , respectively), from 2005 to 2013. New Hampshire
5643-420: The age of 29. When future President Bill Clinton was elected Governor of Arkansas in 1978 at age 32, he became the youngest governor since Harold Stassen of Minnesota , elected in 1938 at age 31. In 35 states, the minimum age requirement of the governor is age 30 years old or older, though in some it is age 25 years old or older (7), age 21 years old or older (1), or age 18 years old or older (5). Oklahoma
5742-414: The city budget and supervises most of the departments. Usually, there is no set term; the manager serves as long as the council is satisfied with their work. Some states contain unincorporated areas , which are areas of land not governed by any local authorities below that at the county level. Residents of unincorporated areas only need to pay taxes to the county, state and federal governments as opposed to
5841-465: The city's affairs. Cities in the West and South usually have nonpartisan local politics. There are three general types of municipal government: the mayor-council , the commission, and the council-manager . These are the pure forms; many cities have developed a combination of two or three of them. This is the oldest form of city government in the United States and, until the beginning of the 20th century,
5940-461: The city), and often is responsible for preparing the city's budget. The council passes city ordinances, sets the tax rate on property, and apportions money among the various city departments. As cities have grown, council seats have usually come to represent more than a single neighborhood. This combines both the legislative and executive functions in one group of officials, usually three or more in number, elected city-wide. Each commissioner supervises
6039-425: The county; in the larger ones, supervisors represent separate districts or townships. The board collects taxes for state and local governments; borrows and appropriates money; fixes the salaries of county employees; supervises elections; builds and maintains highways and bridges; and administers national, state, and county welfare programs. In very small counties, the executive and legislative power may lie entirely with
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#17327725109346138-450: The district's charter or other founding document, and with sufficient administrative and fiscal autonomy to qualify as separate governments; known by a variety of titles, including districts, authorities, boards, commissions, etc., as specified in the enabling state legislation . The United States possesses a number of unincorporated territories , including 16 island territories across the globe. These are areas of land which are not under
6237-409: The election is therefore November 2 (if that date falls on a Tuesday), and the latest possible date is November 8 (if November 1 falls on a Tuesday). Louisiana holds its gubernatorial primary on the third or fourth Saturday of October and the general election (commonly referred to as the runoff within the state) on the third Saturday of November, but the general election is cancelled if one candidate wins
6336-623: The fact that an organic act was not passed in Congress, American Samoa established its own constitution in 1967, and has self governed ever since. Seeking statehood or independence is often debated in US territories, such as in Puerto Rico, but even if referendums on these issues are held, congressional approval is needed for changes in status to take place. The citizenship status of residents in US unincorporated territories has caused concern for their ability to influence and participate in
6435-504: The federal government nor denied to the states in the U.S. Constitution . These include education , family law , contract law , and most crimes . Unlike the federal government, which only has those powers granted to it in the Constitution, a state government has inherent powers allowing it to act unless limited by a provision of the state or national constitution. Like the federal government, state governments have three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The chief executive of
6534-518: The first governor of the state of Michigan when it was admitted to the Union in January 1837, when he was 25. Mason was re-elected in November 1837, then age 26. The second youngest governor ever elected was Henry C. Warmoth of Louisiana , who was elected during reconstruction in 1868 at the age of 26. The third youngest governor was William Sprague IV of Rhode Island , who was elected in 1860 at
6633-575: The governor gets to choose (prior to the election) who would be their lieutenant governor. With the notable exception of Kansas, each of the states specifies in its constitution its qualifications for Governor. "The governor shall not hold any other office or position of profit under the United States, the State, or its political subdivisions." "May not hold any federal office, any civil or military commission, any office in another state, or any other office in Arkansas." hold any federal office, be
6732-468: The governor is directly elected, and in most cases has considerable practical powers, though this may be moderated by the state legislature and in some cases by other elected executive officials. In the five extant U.S. territories, all governors are now directly elected as well, though in the past many territorial governors were historically appointed by the President of the United States. Governors can veto state bills, and in all but seven states they have
6831-571: The governor of a state has either refused their salary in its entirety or instead only taken $ 1.00 per year. Alabama Governor Robert J. Bentley refused his yearly salary of $ 119,950.00 until the state reached full employment. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder took a $ 1.00 yearly salary. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has returned his salary to the state during each year he has held office. During his tenure as Governor of California , Arnold Schwarzenegger also did not accept his salary of $ 170,000 per year. However, several governors instead have decided to take
6930-469: The jurisdiction of any state, and do not have a government established by Congress through an organic act . Citizens of these territories can vote for members of their own local governments, and some can also elect representatives to serve in Congress—though they only have observer status. The unincorporated territories of the U.S. include the permanently inhabited territories of American Samoa , Guam ,
7029-421: The lower house serve two-year terms. The constitutions of the various states differ in some details but generally follow a pattern similar to that of the federal Constitution, including a statement of the rights of the people and a plan for organizing the government, and are generally more detailed. At the state and local level, the process of initiatives and referendums allow citizens to place new legislation on
7128-421: The mayor of Washington, D.C. are female. Forty-three women have served or are currently serving as state or territorial governors, including two in an acting capacity. The first female governor was Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming (widow of the late Wyoming Governor William B. Ross ) who was elected on November 4, 1924, and sworn in on January 5, 1925, succeeding Frank Lucas . Also elected on November 4, 1924,
7227-736: The municipal government as well. A notable example of this is Paradise, Nevada , an unincorporated area where many of the casinos commonly associated with Las Vegas are situated. In addition to general-purpose government entities legislating at the state, county, and city level, special-purpose areas may exist as well, provide one or more specific services that are not being supplied by other existing governments. School districts are organized local entities providing public elementary and secondary education which, under state law, have sufficient administrative and fiscal autonomy to qualify as separate governments. Special districts are authorized by state law to provide designated functions as established in
7326-443: The municipality and the county have been merged into a unified, coterminous jurisdiction —that is to say, these counties consist in their entirety of a single municipality whose city government also operates as the county government. Some counties, such as Arlington County, Virginia , do not have any additional subdivisions. Some states contain independent cities that are not part of any county; although it may still function as if it
7425-399: The national level that controls membership, elected officials or political policies; thus, each party has traditionally had factions and individuals that deviated from party positions. Almost all public officials in America are elected from single-member districts and win office by winning a plurality of votes cast (i.e. more than any other candidate, but not necessarily a majority). Suffrage
7524-592: The politics of the United States. In recent decades, the Supreme Court has established voting as a fundamental right of US citizens, even though residents of territories do not hold full voting rights. Despite this, residents must still abide by federal laws that they cannot equitably influence, as well as register for the national Selective Service System , which has led some scholars to argue that residents of territories are essentially second-class citizens. The legal justifications for these discrepancies stem from
7623-467: The power of the line-item veto on appropriations bills (a power the President does not have). In some cases legislatures can override a gubernatorial veto by a two-thirds vote, in others by three-fifths. In Alabama , Indiana , Kentucky , and Tennessee , the governor's veto can be overridden by a simple majority vote. In Arkansas , a gubernatorial veto may be overridden by an absolute majority . The governor of North Carolina had no veto power until
7722-590: The president is elected indirectly, by an Electoral College whose electors represent their state and are elected by popular vote. (Before the Seventeenth Amendment was passed, Senators were also elected indirectly, by state legislatures.) These presidential electors were originally expected to exercise their own judgement. In modern practice, though, the electors are chosen by their party and pledged to vote for that party's presidential candidate (in rare occurrences they may violate their pledge, becoming
7821-438: The previous governor. Lieutenant governors also serve as unofficial acting state governors in case the incumbent governors are unable to fulfill their duties, and they often serve as presiding officers of the upper houses of state legislatures. In such cases, they cannot participate in political debates, and they have no vote whenever these houses are not equally divided. States are semi-sovereign republics sharing sovereignty with
7920-401: The primary outright (see primary section below). The other 48 states hold gubernatorial elections every four years. All states except for California, Louisiana, and Washington hold primaries in which each political party holds a primary election, and the winner of the primary election moves on to compete in a general election. In California, Louisiana, and Washington, all the candidates run in
8019-408: The record held by George Clinton of New York , who served 21 years from 1777 to 1795 and from 1801 to 1804. In the majority of states and territories, term limit laws officially cap a governor's tenure. The oldest current governor is Kay Ivey of Alabama , born on ( 1944-10-15 ) October 15, 1944 (age 80) . The youngest current state governor is Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas who
8118-550: The right to choose any political figure outside their respective areas and can only elect a non-voting delegate to serve in the House of Representatives . All states and the District of Columbia contribute to the electoral vote for president. Successful participation, especially in federal elections, often requires large amounts of money, especially for television advertising. This money can be very difficult to raise by appeals to
8217-405: The running of state and local elections. Who has the right to vote in the United States is regulated by the Constitution and federal and state laws. Suffrage is nearly universal for citizens 18 years of age and older. Voting rights are sometimes restricted as a result of felony conviction , depending on the state. The District, and other U.S. holdings like Puerto Rico and Guam , do not have
8316-431: The shared sovereignty between each state and the federal government , Americans are citizens of both the federal republic and of the state in which they reside . The governor heads the government's executive branch in each state or territory and, depending on the individual jurisdiction, may have considerable control over government budgeting, the power of appointment of many officials (including many judges), and
8415-463: The state), executive (overseeing the state's government), legislative (proposing, and signing or vetoing laws), judicial (granting state law pardons or commutations), and military (overseeing the militia and organized armed forces of the state). As such, governors are responsible for implementing state laws and overseeing the operation of the state executive branch . As state leaders, governors advance and pursue new and revised policies and programs using
8514-465: The term town does not have any specific meaning; it is simply an informal term applied to populated places (both incorporated and unincorporated municipalities). Moreover, in some states, the term town is equivalent to how civil townships are used in other states. Like counties, the specific responsibilities to townships vary based on each state. Many states grant townships some governmental powers, making them civil townships , either independently or as
8613-401: The top vote getter received in the primary, and California prohibits write-in candidates from competing in the general election. In most states, governors can serve two four-year terms. The type of relationship between the governor and the lieutenant governor greatly varies by state. In some states the governor and lieutenant governor are completely independent of each other, while in others
8712-453: The work of one or more city departments. Commissioners also set policies and rules by which the city is operated. One is named chairperson of the body and is often called the mayor, although their power is equivalent to that of the other commissioners. The city manager is a response to the increasing complexity of urban problems that need management ability not often possessed by elected public officials. The answer has been to entrust most of
8811-555: Was Miriam A. Ferguson of Texas (wife of former Texas Governor James E. Ferguson ), succeeding Pat Morris Neff on January 21, 1925. The first female governor elected without being the wife or widow of a past state governor was Ella T. Grasso of Connecticut , elected in 1974 and sworn in on January 8, 1975. Connecticut , Arizona , and New Mexico are the only three states to have elected female governors from both major parties. New Hampshire has also had female governors from two parties, but Republican Vesta M. Roy served only in
8910-477: Was a consolidated city-county, an independent city was legally separated from any county. Some municipalities are in multiple counties ; New York City is uniquely partitioned into five boroughs that are each coterminous with a county. In most U.S. counties, one town or city is designated as the county seat , and this is where the county government offices are located and where the board of commissioners or supervisors meets. In small counties, boards are chosen by
9009-422: Was acting governor of Arkansas for eleven days in January 1975, and David Paterson , who was governor of New York from 2008 until 2010. The current governor of Texas, Greg Abbott , has been paraplegic since an accident in 1984; he has used a wheelchair ever since. Governor of New York Franklin D. Roosevelt was paraplegic; he later became the first wheelchair-using president. Governor of Alabama George Wallace
9108-561: Was born on ( 1982-08-13 ) August 13, 1982 (age 42) . Among territorial governors, Albert Bryan of the United States Virgin Islands is the youngest, born on ( 1968-02-21 ) February 21, 1968 (age 56) . The youngest person to ever serve as a governor in the United States was Stevens T. Mason of the Michigan Territory , first elected in 1835 having just turned 24. Mason would later become
9207-475: Was born outside the United States (born in Sapporo, Japan). State constitutions have varying requirements for the length of citizenship and residency of the governor but unlike the President, state governors do not need to be natural-born citizens . There is some ambiguity in some state constitutions if a governor must be a citizen or just a resident. Two legally blind governors have served: Bob C. Riley , who
9306-565: Was elected to the Massachusetts Senate , where he served as president from 1823 to 1825. He was a presidential elector in 1824 . He was elected to the United States Senate in 1826 to fill the vacancy in the term ending March 3, 1829, caused by the resignation of James Lloyd . He was re-elected in 1829 and served from May 31, 1826, to March 3, 1835. He was chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce in
9405-669: Was mayor of Salem from 1849 to 1850 and from 1858 to 1859. Silsbee was elected to the United States House of Representatives and served two terms from March 4, 1817, to March 3, 1821, during which time he was chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Military Pensions in the Twenty-first Congress . He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1820 , choosing to serve in the Massachusetts House of Representatives instead. After one term, he
9504-407: Was paralyzed from the waist down after being shot in 1972. He never walked again. The average salary of a state governor in 2009 was $ 124,398. The highest salary currently being accepted is that of New York Governor Kathy Hochul at $ 225,000. The lowest salaries are those of Maine Governor Janet Mills and Pedro Pierluisi of Puerto Rico at $ 70,000 each. There have been several instances where
9603-681: Was removed from office in 1775 for failing to support the rebel war effort. Before achieving statehood, many of the 50 states were territories or parts of territories. Administered by the federal government, they had governors who were appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate rather than elected by the resident population. Election of territorial governors began in Puerto Rico in 1948. The last appointed territorial governor, Hyrum Rex Lee in American Samoa , left office in 1978. As of January 2024, there are 27 states with
9702-524: Was the first and currently only state to have a female governor and entirely female Congressional delegation serving at the same time, from 2013 to 2015. Twelve women have been serving as chief executive of their states since January 10, 2023, when Sarah Huckabee Sanders was inaugurated as the first female governor of Arkansas . This beats the record of eleven set just days earlier following Maura Healey 's inauguration as Governor of Massachusetts on January 5, 2023. There are currently three governors from
9801-425: Was used by nearly all American cities. Its structure is like that of the state and national governments, with an elected mayor as chief of the executive branch and an elected council that represents the various neighborhoods forming the legislative branch. The mayor appoints heads of city departments and other officials (sometimes with the approval of the council ), has the power to veto over ordinances (the laws of
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