Governor Essay ⋆ Political Science Essay Examples ⋆ EssayEmpire

In the United States, each of the fifty states has a governor who serves as the leader of the executive branch. The power and influence of the governor varies from state to state. In general, the governor has the authority to veto legislation, activate the state’s National Guard, and grant pardons.

One area of great variance among the states is the ability of the governor to appoint members of the executive branch of state government. The governor in 48 states may appoint members of the executive branch with state senate approval; in Massachusetts, such appointments may be made with the approval of the state’s Governor’s Council or no other approval, and in New Hampshire, such appointments may be made with the approval of the state’s Executive Council. Some states allow the governor and lieutenant governor to run on the same ticket, while other states have separate elections for the two offices. Other important state offices such as those of attorney general, state auditor, and secretary of state are often elected positions. The powers of governors and other elected officials in each state’s executive branch are typically defined by the state’s constitution and vary among the states.

Over the past fifty years, the nature of governorships has changed due to a push during the progressive era to increase the state executive’s power. Examples include a lengthening of terms; only two states have governors serving terms of less than four years. In all states except Virginia, a governor can run for reelection. The governorship is increasingly becoming a stepping stone to the U.S. presidency. In each presidential election since 1976, a governor has been one of the two major parties’ nominees for president or vice president.

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