Editing Politics of the United States (section)

==State government==
[[File:New York State Senate chamber.jpg|thumb|[[New York State Senate]] chamber]]
[[File:US state Legislature and Governor Control.svg|thumb|300px|[[Government trifecta|US state and territory governments (governor and legislature)]] by party control
{{legend|#33f|Democratic control}}
{{legend|#f33|Republican control}}
{{legend|#161687|[[New Progressive Party (Puerto Rico)|NPP]] control}}
{{legend|#829|Split control}}]]
[[File:US State Government Control Map.svg|thumb|301x301px|US state and territorial legislatures by party control
{{legend|#33f|Democratic control}}
{{legend|#f33|Republican control}}
{{legend|#161687|NPP control}}
{{legend|#829|Split control}}]]
[[State governments of the United States|State governments]] have the [[Police power (United States constitutional law)|power to make laws on all subjects that are not granted to the federal government nor denied to the states]] in the [[U.S. Constitution]]. These include [[education]], [[family law]], [[contract law]], and most [[crime]]s. Unlike the federal government, which only has those powers granted to it in the Constitution, a state government has inherent powers allowing it to act unless limited by a provision of the state or national constitution.

Like the federal government, state governments have three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The chief executive of a state is its popularly elected [[governor (United States)|governor]], who typically holds office for a four-year term (although in some states the term is two years). Except for [[Nebraska]], which has [[unicameral]] legislature, all states have a bicameral legislature, with the upper house usually called the [[Senate]] and the lower house called the [[House of Representatives]], the [[Deliberative assembly|Assembly]] or something similar. 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, and are generally more detailed.

At the state and local level, the process of initiatives and referendums allow citizens to place new legislation on a popular ballot, or to place legislation that has recently been passed by a legislature on a ballot for a popular vote. Initiatives and referendums, along with recall elections and popular primary elections, are signature reforms of the [[Progressive Era]]; they are written into several state constitutions, particularly in the Western states, but not found at the federal level.
{{See also|Initiatives and referendums in the United States|Recall election}}