Citizens elect representatives to the state
government. These leaders work in the state capitol.
Each state has a constitution, or plan for the
government. State constitutions are different. But
states all have three branches of government that
work together to run the state.
The branch that makes the laws is led by
lawmakers. They make laws to improve their
communities and the state.
The governor leads the second branch of
government. Governors make sure laws are carried
out. A governor can stop new laws if he or she
disagrees with them.
The courts are the third branch of state
government. Courts make sure laws follow the state
and national constitutions. Courts punish people
who break laws.
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, often a state, but also other entities like for example companies, especially in the case of colonial companies.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a means by which organizational policies are enforced, as well as a mechanism for determining policy. Each government has a kind of constitution, a statement of its governing principles and philosophy. Typically the philosophy chosen is some balance between the principle of individual freedom and the idea of absolute state authority. While all types of organizations have governance, the term government is often used more specifically, to refer to the approximately 200 independent national governments and subsidiary organizations globally.
Historically prevalent forms of government include monarchy, aristocracy, timocracy, oligarchy, democracy, theocracy and tyranny. The main aspect of any philosophy of government is how political power is obtained, with the two main forms being electoral contest and hereditary succession. Libertarianism and anarchism are political ideologies that seek to limit or abolish government, finding government disruptive to self organization and freedom.
