Editing Michigan (section)

== Government ==
{{See also|List of Governors of Michigan|United States congressional delegations from Michigan}}

===State government===
{{Main|Government of Michigan}}

[[File:Michigan state capitol.jpg|thumb|The [[Michigan State Capitol]] in [[Lansing]] houses the [[Michigan Legislature|legislative branch]] of the government of the US state of Michigan.]]

Michigan is governed as a republic, with three [[separation of powers|branches of government]]: the [[executive branch]] consisting of the [[Governor of Michigan]] and the other independently elected constitutional officers; the [[legislative branch]] consisting of the [[Michigan State House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] and [[Michigan Senate|Senate]]; and the [[judicial branch]]. The [[Michigan Constitution]] allows for the direct participation of the electorate by statutory [[Popular initiative|initiative]] and [[referendum]], [[recall election|recall]], and constitutional initiative and [[ratification|referral]] (Article II, § 9,<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.legislature.mi.gov/printDocument.aspx?objstate=mcl-article-ii-9&version=txt |title = Article II, § 9 of State Constitution |publisher = Michigan Legislature |access-date = June 27, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130117041635/http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(dmjr2jejmjc0at2whhlicz55))/printDocument.aspx?objstate=mcl-article-ii-9&version=txt |archive-date = January 17, 2013 |url-status = live}}</ref> defined as "the power to propose laws and to enact and reject laws, called the initiative, and the power to approve or reject laws enacted by the legislature, called the referendum. The power of initiative extends only to laws which the legislature may enact under this constitution"). [[Lansing, Michigan|Lansing]] is the [[list of capitals in the United States|state capital]] and is home to all three branches of state government.

[[File:Michigan House of Representatives.jpg|thumb|The floor of the [[Michigan House of Representatives]]]]

The governor and the other state constitutional officers serve four-year terms and may be re-elected only once. The current governor is [[Gretchen Whitmer]]. Michigan has two official [[Michigan Governor's Residence|Governor's Residences]]; one is in Lansing, and the other is on [[Mackinac Island]]. The other constitutionally elected executive officers are the [[Lieutenant Governor of Michigan|lieutenant governor]], who is elected on a joint ticket with the governor; the [[Secretary of State of Michigan|secretary of state]]; and the [[Attorney General of Michigan|attorney general]]. The lieutenant governor presides over the Senate (voting only in case of a tie) and is also a member of the cabinet. The secretary of state is the chief elections officer and is charged with running many licensure programs including motor vehicles, all of which are done through the branch offices of the secretary of state.

The [[Michigan Legislature]] consists of a 38-member Senate and 110-member House of Representatives. Members of both houses of the legislature are elected through [[first past the post]] elections by single-member electoral districts of near-equal population that often have boundaries which coincide with county and municipal lines. Senators serve four-year terms concurrent to those of the governor, while representatives serve two-year terms. The [[Michigan State Capitol]] was dedicated in 1879 and has hosted the executive and legislative branches of the state ever since.

[[File:Michigan National Guard members participate in inauguration, Adjutant General swearing-in 190101-F-VX133-049.jpg|thumb|left|Governor Gretchen Whitmer speaking at a National Guard ceremony in 2019]]

The Michigan judiciary consists of two courts with primary jurisdiction (the Circuit Courts and the District Courts), one intermediate level appellate court (the [[Michigan Court of Appeals]]), and the [[Michigan Supreme Court]]. There are several administrative courts and specialized courts. District courts are trial courts of [[limited jurisdiction]], handling most traffic violations, small claims, [[misdemeanor]]s, and civil suits where the amount contended is below $25,000. District courts are often responsible for handling the preliminary examination and for setting bail in felony cases. District court judges are elected to terms of six years. In a few locations, municipal courts have been retained to the exclusion of the establishment of district courts. There are 57 circuit courts in the State of Michigan, which have [[original jurisdiction]] over all civil suits where the amount contended in the case exceeds $25,000 and all criminal cases involving [[felony|felonies]]. Circuit courts are also the only trial courts in the State of Michigan which possess the power to issue [[equitable remedies]]. Circuit courts have [[appellate jurisdiction]] from district and municipal courts, as well as from decisions and decrees of state agencies. Most counties have their own circuit court, but sparsely populated counties often share them. Circuit court judges are elected to terms of six years. State appellate court judges are elected to terms of six years, but vacancies are filled by an appointment by the governor. There are four divisions of the Court of Appeals in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Marquette. Cases are heard by the Court of Appeals by panels of three judges, who examine the application of the law and not the facts of the case unless there has been grievous error pertaining to questions of fact. The Michigan Supreme Court consists of seven members who are elected on non-partisan ballots for staggered eight-year terms. The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction only in narrow circumstances but holds appellate jurisdiction over the entire state judicial system.

===Law===
{{main|Law of Michigan}}

[[File:712 michigan hofj edit.jpg|thumb|[[Michigan Supreme Court]] at the Hall of Justice]]

Michigan has had four constitutions, the first of which was ratified on October{{nbsp}}5 and 6, 1835.<ref>{{cite web |first = Mark |last = Harvey |date = May 18, 2006 |title = Constitution of the State of Michigan of 1835 |url = http://michigan.gov/formergovernors/0,1607,7-212--56877--,00.html |publisher = State of Michigan |access-date = June 27, 2012 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120717032651/http://www.michigan.gov/formergovernors/0%2C1607%2C7-212--56877--%2C00.html |archive-date = July 17, 2012}}</ref> There were also constitutions from 1850 and 1908, in addition to the current constitution from 1963. The current document has a preamble, 11 articles, and one section consisting of a schedule and temporary provisions. Michigan, like every U.S. state except [[Louisiana]], has a [[common law]] legal system.

===Politics===
{{main|Politics of Michigan}}

[[File:Michigan Presidential Election Results 2024.svg|thumb|[[2024 United States presidential election in Michigan|2024 U.S. presidential election results]] by county in Michigan {{leftlegend|#4389E3|Democratic}}{{leftlegend|#AA0000|Republican}}]]

Having been a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]-leaning state at the presidential level since the 1990s, Michigan has evolved into a [[swing state]] after [[Donald Trump]] won the state in [[2016 United States presidential election|2016]]. He then won it again in [[2024 United States presidential election|2024]], after losing it by a slim 2.8% to Democrat [[Joe Biden]] in [[2020 United States presidential election|2020]]. Governors since the 1970s have alternated between the Democrats and [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]], and statewide offices including [[Michigan Attorney General|attorney general]], [[Michigan Secretary of State|secretary of state]], and [[United States Senate|senator]] have been held by members of both parties in varying proportion. Additionally, from [[1994 Michigan gubernatorial election|1994]] until [[2022 Michigan gubernatorial election|2022]], the governor-elect had always come from the party opposite the presidency. Following the [[2024 Michigan elections|2024 elections]], control of [[Michigan Legislature]] is split, with the Democratic Party having a slim majority of two seats in the Senate while the Republican Party holds a 58 seat majority in the House. The state's [[United States congressional delegations from Michigan|congressional delegation]] is commonly split, with one party or the other typically holding a narrow majority; as of 2025 Republicans have a 7-6 majority.

Michigan was the home of [[Gerald Ford]], the 38th president of the United States. Born in Nebraska, he moved as an infant to Grand Rapids.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/history/presidents/gf38.html |title = Biography of Gerald R. Ford |date = August 9, 1974 |access-date = July 25, 2010 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100610172811/http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/history/presidents/gf38.html |archive-date = June 10, 2010 |via = [[NARA|National Archives]] |work = [[whitehouse.gov]]}}</ref><ref name="ford-Nebraska">{{cite news |last = Funk |first = Josh |year = 2006 |url = http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/12/27/nebraska_born_ford_left_state_as_infant/ |title = Nebraska-Born, Ford Left State As Infant |agency = Associated Press |work = [[The Boston Globe]] |access-date = October 6, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090105223632/http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/12/27/nebraska_born_ford_left_state_as_infant/ |archive-date = January 5, 2009 |url-status = live}}</ref> The [[Gerald R. Ford Museum]] is in Grand Rapids, and the [[Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library]] is on the campus of his alma mater, the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

In a 2020 study, Michigan was ranked as the 13th easiest state for citizens to vote in.<ref>{{cite journal |last1 = J. Pomante II |first1 = Michael |last2 = Li |first2 = Quan |title = Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020 |journal = Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy |date = December 15, 2020 |volume = 19 |issue = 4 |pages = 503–509 |doi = 10.1089/elj.2020.0666 |s2cid = 225139517 |doi-access = free |issn=1533-1296 }}</ref> In 2022, Michigan voters passed an amendment recognising abortion and contraceptive rights within the [[Michigan Constitution|state's constitution]].<ref name="freep passage">{{cite news |last1= |first1= |date=November 9, 2022 |title=2022 Michigan Proposal 3 - Reproductive Freedom Election Results |url=https://www.freep.com/elections/results/race/2022-11-08-ballot_initiative-MI-24627/ |access-date=November 9, 2022 |publisher=[[Detroit Free Press]]}}</ref>