State and Local Government State Government ~~~~~ The States Chapter Eight State and Local Government State Government ~~~~~ The States

State Governments have been established to serve the people decide how many days you must attend school each year pass laws that affect the people living in your state help pay for public education help pay for state parks provide hospitals build and maintain state roadways

A New Government after independence Constitution original 13 states acted like small, separate nations each state regulated trade crossing its borders often treated neighboring states as if they were foreign countries the first few years of the republic seemed like the U.S. would break up into 13 small, weak countries Constitution established the rules of the new country states gave up some powers to the new national government states kept other powers for themselves created a federal system with a strong national government powers are divided between the 50 states and the federal government gave the federal government powers that affected all U.S. citizens states have power to govern the people who live within their borders are closer to the people and can better provide them with many needed services

Delegated Federal Powers federal government has powers that affect all U.S. citizens conducting foreign policy printing money maintaining a post office defending the country maintain an army and a navy regulate trade between the states 5

Reserved State Powers tenth amendment states are responsible for reserves certain powers to state governments those not granted to the federal government or prohibited to the states states are responsible for conducting local, state, and national elections the federal system depends on the states to ensure that Americans are given the opportunity to elect their representatives deciding most of the qualifications for voting those not otherwise specified in the U.S. Constitution establishing and maintaining schools state school regulations cannot conflict with the U.S. Constitution or with Supreme Court rulings controlling all local governments within their boundaries districts, cities, towns, townships, and counties local governments receive their powers from the states state laws deal with health, safety, welfare marriage and divorce, traffic regulations regulate business within state borders

Concurrent Shared Powers states share many powers with the federal government even if certain powers are granted to the federal government in the Constitution, state governments may also have these powers unless a power is forbidden to the states by the U.S. Constitution, state governments may exercise that power shared powers taxation federal, state, and local governments have the power to tax their citizens must collect various kinds of taxes to carry on their activities state governments may raise money by taxing items such as gasoline, liquor, and cigarettes, or through income and property taxes money from state taxes pays for education, highways, health and safety programs, and other state services establishing court systems borrowing and spending money making and enforcing laws

State Constitutions each of the 50 states has its own constitution contains the rules that direct how the state government will be organized and carry out its work most state constitutions contain the following: a preamble states the basic ideas and ideals on which the state government is founded a bill of rights lists the rights and freedoms guaranteed to all citizens who live in the state an outline of the organization of the state's government the duties of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches spelled out provisions for elections qualifications for voting that must be met by the citizens of the state rules for conducting elections provisions for managing state affairs education, keeping law and order, building highways, regulating business, and raising money by means of taxes methods of amending or changing the state constitution a list of the amendments passed

States Working Together Constitution created a federal system with a strong national government powers are divided between the 50 states and the federal government when they joined the Union, states agreed to work together in harmony full faith and credit clause Article IV, Section 1, of the U.S. Constitution "Full faith and credit [acceptance] shall be given in each State to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other State.“ ensures that each state will accept the decisions of civil courts in other states ensures that each state will accept the official records of other states marriage certificates, birth certificates, wills, contracts, deeds state cooperation extradition method of returning fugitives to state where crime was committed projects bridges and roads reducing water and air pollution

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The States and Federal Government cooperation between the federal government and 50 states domestic violence Constitution states that the federal government must help any state put down domestic violence within its borders such as rioting in a town governor may call on the National Guard of the state governor may ask the federal government for assistance furnishing services building highways assisting the unemployed helping people with low incomes conserving natural resources providing low-cost lunches for schoolchildren offering job training to people with disabilities times of crisis natural disasters hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires security terrorism