SLG - State Constitutions Lesson

 

State Constitutions

Since the Declaration of Independence, states have written a total of approximately 150 constitutions, with several states writing new ones frequently. State constitutions are generally more complex than the United States Constitution and address more details regarding the day-to-day relationship between the government and the citizens of a state. Typically, state constitutions address a wide array of issues that include the role, structure, and financial responsibility of the state and local levels of government within each of the fifty states.

The 10th Amendment of the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, states "the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people."  In addition, Article IV of the U.S. Constitution outlines the relationship between each state and the others, as well as between the states and the federal government. These two provisions provided the foundation of state law when the original U.S. Constitution was adopted.

View the presentation below to learn more.

State Officials

Public officials are predominant in all fifty states. However, each state has its own array of government officials with no two states being the same. However, all fifty states have governors, legislators, and judiciaries.

Types of Local Government

Local governments can be organized into different types. Click on each tab to learn more.

 IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS OR OPENSOURCE