State Executive Branch

State Executive Branch

By Cedric Gillette

The Office of Governor

​Most states require that a person who serves as governor be a resident of the state. Surprisingly, a handful of states do not have that requirement. Among the many states that have the requirement, the specifics vary greatly. While a candidate for governor in Missouri and Oklahoma must have lived there for at least 10 years, someone who has lived in Rhode Island for just 30 days can run for governor of that state.

Subject | Subject

Multiple Choice

________ require that their governor be a resident of their state.

• Most States

• Some States

• All States

• No States

Other Roles of Governor

​Governors have certain legislative duties, too. Early each year, they deliver a “state of the state” message to the legislature and the state’s citizens. In it, governors outline their goals. Then they send bills to the legislature that will help the state reach those goals. Governors can also call a special session of the legislature to respond to a crisis.

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Like presidents, governors have the power to veto bills. For all but six governors, this power goes further. They can use a line-item veto. This means they can veto specific parts of a bill rather than the whole law. Lawmakers can override either of these kinds of vetoes by voting to pass the bill again.

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Governors have some judicial powers as well. They can appoint judges. They can change criminal sentences. A governor may grant pardons to criminals. A pardon removes a criminal’s punishment. A governor can also choose to commute, or reduce, someone’s sentence. These rulings can be made before any punishment has been served. Governors can also grant prisoners an early release from prison. That early release is called parole (puh•ROHL).

Subject | Subject

​specific - falling into a particular category

Multiple Choice

State governors have the power to _______________.

• veto bills

• declare war

• amend the United States Constitution

• name people to fill federal offices

Multiple Choice

A line-item veto allows a governor to _______________.

• veto a bill

• initiate a new bill

• choose which parts of a bill to veto

• reject bills without a formal procedure

Multiple Choice

A state governor may change a criminal's sentence.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Next in Line

​What happens if the governor dies or for some reason leaves office before the end of a term? In 43 states, the next person in line is the lieutenant governor. In some states, candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run as a team, or on the same ticket. In other states, they run separately. They may even belong to different political parties. The next person in line steps into the governor’s position with surprising frequency. Between 2000 and 2010, governors were replaced 20 times.

Subject | Subject

Multiple Choice

Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor always run as a team.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Multiple Choice

Between 2000 and 2010, __________ governors did not complete their terms and were replaced by the lieutenant governor.

• 8

• 15

• 10

• 20

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State Executive Departments

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​State governments also have a number of executive departments, agencies, and boards. Some are similar to those at the federal level, such as departments of labor, justice, and agriculture. Others are specific to state needs, including departments of health and public works and highways. Many states also have boards of welfare to help those in need.

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The federal departments, agencies, and boards are headed by officials whom the president chooses and the Senate approves. At the state level, on the other hand, elected officials run many departments. These officials get their jobs without the governor playing a role. They are independent, so they might not be willing to take direction from the governor.

Subject | Subject

Multiple Choice

The executives who run departments at the state level might not easily take direction from the governor because they are _______________.

• not part of a cabinet

• appointed, not elected

• elected, not appointed

• part of a cabinet

​Major Executive Officials

​Most states have five major executive officials. Each carries out important activities in the state. The titles of these officials differ from state to state.

• The secretary of state oversees elections in the state and the recording and publishing of all laws. The office headed by this person also keeps other kinds of official records.

• The attorney general is the state’s chief lawyer. He or she is the leader of the lawyers who represent the state in legal matters. These include disputes with the federal government.

• The state treasurer’s main duty is to handle and keep track of the flow of money into and out of the state government.

• The state auditor’s job is to review the conduct of state departments and offices. This official makes sure that work is being done honestly and efficiently. Auditors ensure that tax dollars are not misused.

• The commissioner or superintendent of education oversees the state’s public school system. This person is concerned with the content that should be studied in each subject in each grade and other school-related issues.

Subject | Subject

Multiple Choice

The executive official who oversees elections is the _____________.

• attorney general

• state treasurer

• state auditor

• secretary of state

Multiple Choice

The executive official who reviews the conduct of state offices is the _____________.

• secretary of state

• attorney general

• state treasurer

• state auditor

Multiple Choice

Each state's cabinet has 75 officials.

• TRUE

• FALSE

​State Cabinets

​In most states, the executive department officials make up a cabinet. The cabinet meets regularly with the governor to give advice and share information. These officials from the different departments each bring special knowledge when discussing issues. The size of cabinets varies widely, from fewer than 10 members in some states to as many as 75 in New York. Some cabinets meet every week. Others meet only every one or two months.

Subject | Subject