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Much of the time, the United States government runs pretty smoothly.
Laws are passed and enforced, court cases are heard, relations with other countries are carried out. This is due primarily to the genius of our Constitution.
The Constitution establishes three branches of government – the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch. The legislative branch makes the laws, the executive branch enforces the laws, and the judicial branch decides whether laws are constitutional or unconstitutional.
The Constitution also establishes the separation of powers. That means the government has a system of checks and balances that makes sure no single branch of government has too much power. In addition to the U.S. Constitution, each state has its own constitution.
Senator Chuck Schumer (New York)
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (New York)
▲ The United States Congress has two parts – the House of Representatives and the Senate. The people who make up the House and the Senate come from every state, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Territories. Every state has two senators, no matter how many people live there. Every state has representatives according to its population. States where many people live, like New York, have more representatives. States where few people live, like Alaska, have fewer representatives. New York has 26 representatives.
To find your representatives, visit the official website of the House of Representatives at https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative.
◀ New York’s government is divided into three branches, just like the national government. It also has the same checks and balances. The governor is the head of the executive branch. New York has a two-chamber legislative branch. The New York State Court of Appeals is the highest court in the state.
The governor, the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, and the comptroller are the only statewide officials elected by residents of the state. (The governor and the lieutenant governor run for election as a team. They appear on the same ballot.) The governor serves for four years and can run for reelection. There are no limits to the number of terms a governor can serve. ▶
Governor Kathy Hochul (New York)
Governor
In charge of preparing the state budget; enforces the laws; is commander-in-chief of military and naval affairs
Lieutenant Governor
Serves as president of the State Senate; serves as acting governor if the governor is out of the state or becomes disabled; serves as governor in the case of the governor’s death, resignation, or removal from office because of impeachment
Attorney General
Chief legal officer; serves as guardian of the legal rights of New York’s citizens, businesses, and natural resources; defends the state in legal procedures
Comptroller
Chief financial officer; protects taxpayers’ money by uncovering waste, fraud, and abuse; manages the state’s money
◀ New York has a Unified Court System. Its goal is to provide consistent, quality justice. The Court of Appeals has a chief justice and six associate justices. They serve 14-year terms. The governor appoints the justices and the Senate approves them. This court determines statewide principles of law. The New York State Supreme Court is New York’s highest trial court. It includes 62 supreme courts, one for each county. Justices on the Supreme Court and judges on most other, lower courts are elected by the voters in their district.
Many people complain about taxes. Taxes are the money people pay to the city, county, state, or federal government. Some taxes are based on a person’s income. Some taxes are added to the price of goods and services. Where does all that tax money go, you might ask. It depends. State taxes pay for building and repairing state roads and bridges. In some counties, they help pay to keep the buses running. And for some kinds of health insurance for people who cannot afford it. Local taxes pay for teachers’ salaries, libraries, police, firefighters, sanitation workers, and lots more. People may think their taxes are too high, but without them, our state and our country would look quite different. ▶
◀ A big part of most county taxes pays for programs the state and federal government mandate, or require, but do not pay for. (This is a way county government in New York is different from county government in most other states.) These taxes fund services for war veterans. Plus, services for people who are experiencing financial problems. They also support services for preschool children and people with mental health difficulties. In addition, they pay for legal services for people in need. The New York State mandates are intended to help all New Yorkers have their best lives.
