State Government

History The 13 colonial governments became the state governments The 13 colonial constitutions PRECEDED our U.S. Constitution The state constitutions served as the building blocks of the Federal government

Wanted to limit government Most included a bill of rights What were the authors of the state constitution thinking when creating their constitutions? Wanted to limit government Most included a bill of rights Office of Governor was weak with the power of the __________ being the most powerful State Constitutions are relatively easy to amend—17 states allow for amendments simply by getting the proposal on a statewide ballot without the Legislature or Governor

Governors Are charged with identifying the most pressing problems facing their state and proposing solutions to those problems They establish their agendas when campaigning for office What do you know about Governor Dayton’s agenda?

Governor responsibilities continued… Propose state budgets Influence implementation of laws by appointing the heads of state administrative agencies At the state level, budgets MUST be balanced. Balanced: revenue (money in)=spending (money out) Surplus: More revenue than spending. MN has a $2 Billion surplus right now. Deficit: More spending than revenue.

Politics at the local and state level Local news media play a key role in getting access to the public Ad-hoc, issue-specific organizations form and are VERY apparent at the local and state level Ad-hoc, issue-specific organizations join together for a purpose of stopping or starting a project, or raising awareness on an issue. They tend to disband once the issue is resolved/project is complete

State Governments Primary responsibility for education, public health, transportation, economic development, and criminal justice Think of an example of how Minnesota’s state government works in each of these areas…

State governments continued… They also issue licenses and regulate various professions such as doctors, lawyers, barbers, architects, and teachers

Federalism Federal and state governments share and divide powers

MN State Legislative Branch Bicameral Senate Upper house House Lower house

MN Senate Qualifications 67 total senators 21 years old Qualified to vote in MN 1 year MN resident Resident in district 6 months before election 67 total senators

Greg Clausen

MN House Qualifications 134 reps (2 per Senate district) 21 years old 2 year term Qualified to vote in MN 1 year MN resident Resident in district 6 months before election 134 reps (2 per Senate district)

Tara Mack

Baker v. Carr (1962) The Supreme Court ruled that “one-person, one-vote” allowed for equal protection under the 14th Amendment This meant that state legislative districts needed to be equally divided (based on population)

MN State Executive Branch Governor and Lieutenant Governor Qualifications 25 years old 4 year term No term limits Qualified to vote in MN elections 1 year MN resident

MN State Executive Branch Governor Roles Chief Executive Carry out laws Appoint officials Prepare budget Commander in Chief National Guard Ceremonial Leader Greet visitors, represent MN Judicial Leader Pardons - Party Leader Leads MN political party

Governor Mark Dayton MN governor US Senator MN State Auditor Since 2011 US Senator 2001-2007 MN State Auditor 1991-1995

Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith 48th Lt. Governor Originally from New Mexico Worked at General Mills Was Dayton’s chief of staff

MN State Judicial Branch 3 levels Supreme, Appeals and Trial Judges must be at least 21 years old All judges must retire at age 70

MN Supreme Court 1 Chief Justice 6 Associate Justices Must be licensed to practice law in MN 6 year terms Yeah, these justices are voted in by the people! About 1 in 8 cases make it to this level Taxes and first degree murder are examples

MN Appeals Court 1 chief judge 18 associate judges 6 year terms

MN District Court 10 courts 289 total judges 6 year terms Criminal, civil, juvenile, family and traffic cases

Local Government

Who pays for it?

Grassroots Power and Politics What does “grassroots power” mean? Political participation in the state and especially local politics is both MORE personal and MORE issue-oriented than at the national level Some elections tend to be non-partisan Examples? Think Local (Mayor, School Board, Sheriff)

Local Government Executive Branch Mayor 4 year terms Voted by constituents

Local Government Legislative Branch City Council 4 year terms Voted by constituents Mayor is a member Apple Valley has 5 members including the mayor

Charters A document that describes the institutions of government, the processes used to make legally binding decisions, and the scope of issues and services that fall within the jurisdiction of governmental bodies It is a constitution for local governments that must be approved by state legislatures