Andres Explains: State Governments

Before he was America’s first Black president, before he was a senator from Illinois, President Barack Obama was a state senator from Chicago in the 1990s.

While a member of the state senate, he worked on a variety of issues related to the South Side of Chicago, such as police accountability.

Do you know why Washington State is doing much better than Texas regarding per capita COVID-19 cases and the immediate fallout?

It’s because of the decisions their state government made early on.

The state government of Washington State made the decision to take the COVID-19 virus seriously when it counted most.

Early.

By contrast, there was never really a time in which the state government of Florida didn’t decide to ignore the virus and actively sabotage efforts by local governments to control the spread.

There is a clear contrast between the two sets of states in outcomes.

The difference is in those who are running the two states.

What State Governments Do

State governments are mainly responsible for affairs inside their own borders. This means that state governments play significant roles in issues like health and human services, criminal justice/public safety, infrastructure, education, and so many other issues.

State governments are also responsible for drawing legislative districts using census data every ten years. Who is in charge of drawing these boundaries carries significant consequences.

Most people will have far more frequent contact with their state government than they will the federal government.

How big, powerful, and influential a state is depends heavily on its population. Because it is the most populous state in the country, for example, California has enormous amounts of influence on the direction of the country’s economy and culture.

But keep in mind the senate as an institution and by design limits the power of states like California and Texas, two of the most populated states in the country.

Like the federal government, state governments across the United States are divided into three branches: the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

State Legislatures

This is where state law and budgets for state governments are written.

State legislatures have something called the power of the purse. The term “power of the purse” means an ability to gain leverage by restricting or loosening monetary resources. This means that budgets need to be approved by state legislatures in order for them to be executed by the executive branch, in this case the governor’s office.

Although power of the purse is applied in the context of the federal government, it applies just as much to state legislatures and governors.

State legislatures are also responsible for lawmaking in individual states.

Governors

Governors are the executives in the states. This means they are responsible for executing the laws of their state and managing the state government apparatus.

This apparatus includes a state’s health and human services operations, environmental agencies, various departments like energy and corrections, and a state’s national guard.

Governors are also responsible for managing emergencies like natural disasters and civil unrest. two events that can bring a state to its knees.

Governors select people for various departments and appointments.

While the legislature has significant leverage over a governor, governors have just as potent a weapon: the veto.

A veto is when an executive refuses to pass legislation that has passed both chambers of a legislature. This can give a governor significant leverage in negotiations with a legislature.

State Supreme Courts

States have their own supreme courts.

State supreme courts rule on matters that relate to states only, while the federal Supreme Court is mainly concerned with federal cases.

While governors and state legislatures are elected, state supreme courts can be elected, appointed, or some combination of both.

Pay close attention either way.

What You Can Do

In addition to the governor, pay attention to who else gets elected to statewide office in your home state. Some of the most common and important include state attorney general, state auditor, secretary of state, and comptroller. I will write about these critical offices at a later date.

Click here to learn who your state legislators are.

Stay safe everyone.