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Government Structure
State constitutions vary in how they structure state governments and distribute power among the branches of government and between the state and localities. State governments include statewide executive, legislative, and judicial branches, but also multiple county, district, municipal, and local governments.
Home rule disputes between states and localities, separation of powers among the branches of government, the limits of executive power, jurisdiction of courts, and limits on legislative authority all regularly give rise to litigation.
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State Court Oral Arguments to Watch for in September
Issues on the dockets include climate change, redistricting, and lawsuits by victims of child sexual abuse.
Multiple High Courts Uphold Voters’ Right to Use Ballot Measures to Change Law
Decisions in California, Michigan, and Utah could serve as models for courts in other states facing power struggles between legislatures and proponents of voter-approved ballot initiatives.
Scholarship Roundup: September 2024 Back to School Edition
New articles and books cover a wide range of topics related to state constitutions, judiciaries, state-level democracy, and more.
Florida Supreme Court Allows DeSantis to Undermine Prosecutorial Independence
Lawmakers and other officials in multiple states seek to limit the power of or remove elected prosecutors whose policy choices they disagree with.
State Constitutional Conventions, Explained
The last state to hold a conventional convention was in Rhode Island in 1986.
Can Wisconsin’s Governor Use a Line-Item Veto to Extend School Funding by 400 Years?
The state high court is set to address whether the governor’s deletion of words, numbers, and punctuation from a bill to change its meaning violates the state constitution.
Will Courts Continue to Favor State Control Over Home Rule?
Constitutional amendments giving cities greater authority over local policy have repeatedly met resistance by state courts over the last century.
Missouri Attorney General Clashes with Prosecutor Trying to Exonerate Man on Death Row
Marcellus Williams is set to be executed in September, but the prosecutor says he was wrongfully convicted.