American Government Chapter 11: State and Local Government
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Terms to Know:
Section 1: Fifty Individual States
- A constitution is a written plan which sets up a form of government and establishes its basic governing principles.
- A state constitution serves as the state's fundamental law.
- The Massachusetts constitution is the oldest written constitution now in force anywhere in the world.
Current State Constitutions
- Preamble - a short introductory statement telling why the constitution was written.
- Bill of rights - provisions listing the basic rights of the people and limiting the powers of government.
- Description of state government - provisions for the three separate branches of state government.
- General provisions - provisions dealing with voting qualifications and elections.
- Provisions for change - provisions dealing with the process by which the constitution may be amended.
Changing State Constitutions
- Revision is a major change in a state constitution.
- An amendment is a minor change in a state constitution.
Amendments
- The process by which they propose an amendment is called the initiative.
- A referendum is an election in which the voters of the state approve or reject a proposed amendment.
- One of the most important functions of state government is law enforcement.