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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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Federal Workers Have Scant Job Protection in the Constitution
In contrast, some state constitutions protect explicitly both the civil service and public employee unions.
The Massachusetts Constitution: the Oldest in the United States, and Often Ahead of its Time
A Massachusetts state court was the first to uphold the right to same-sex marriage on constitutional grounds.
The Wisconsin Governor's Creative Use of Line-Item Veto Extended School Funding by 400 Years
The governor deleted words, numbers, and punctuation from a bill to change its meaning.
Washington, DC Needs Stronger ‘Home Rule’
Most state constitutions allow municipal governments autonomy over local matters. Washington, DC’s policies, by contrast, must go to Congress for approval.
The Montana Legislature’s Partisan Attack on Judicial Independence
Dissatisfied with recent court decisions, the state legislature moves to change how judges are elected.
North Carolina’s Constitution of Contrasts
The state’s 55-year-old constitution offers progressive protections like a right to education while retaining elements of state-sponsored efforts to prevent Black progress in the post-Reconstruction era.
The History of Dueling and State Constitutions
State constitutions helped end dueling — a deadly way men proved their “honor” — in a way state laws could not.
Sanctuary Policies in a Federal System
States and localities that restrict federal enforcement of immigration and gun laws promote diversity and help protect against authoritarianism.