State government

Before their independence, colonies governed themselves separately under the authority of the British Crown. In the early years of the republic, prior to the adoption of the Constitution, each state was virtually an autonomous unit. The delegates to the Constitutional Convention sought a stronger, more viable federal union, but they could not ignore state traditions, nor the interests of state politicians.

In general, matters that lie entirely within state borders are the exclusive concern of state governments. These include internal communications [ внутренние контакты ]; regulations relating to property, industry, business, and public utilities [ коммунальные услуги ]; the state criminal code [ уголовный кодекс ]; and working conditions [ условия труда ] within the state. Within this context, the federal government requires that state governments must be republican in form and that they adopt no laws that contradict or violate the federal Constitution or the laws and treaties of the United States.

There are, of course, many areas of overlap [ наложение, совпадение, перекрытие ] between state and federal jurisdictions.

Like the national government, state governments have three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial; these are roughly equivalent in function and scope to their national counterparts. The chief executive of a state is the governor, elected by popular vote [ голоса избирателей ], typically for a four-year term (although in a few states the term is two years). Except for Nebraska [ nI'brxskq ], which has one legislative body, all states have a two-chamber [ двухпалатный ] legislature, with the upper house usually called the Senate and the lower house called the House of Representatives, the House of Delegates [ Палата делегатов ], or the General Assembly [ Генеральная ассамблея ].

In addition to the previous usage, some states refer to the entire state legislature as the " General Assembly", with two houses within it. In most states, senators serve four-year terms, and members of the lower house serve two-year terms.

The constitutions of the various states differ in some details but generally follow a pattern similar to that of the federal Constitution, including a statement of the rights of the people and a plan for organizing the government. On such matters as the operation of businesses, banks, public utilities, and charitable institutions, state constitutions are often more detailed and explicit [ ясный, подробный ] than the federal one. Each state constitution, however, provides that the final authority belongs to the people, and sets certain standards and principles as the foundation of government.