Governor (United States)

In the United States, a governor serves as the chief executive officer and commander-in-chief in each of the fifty states and in the five permanently inhabited territories. As state leaders, governors advance and pursue new and revised policies and programs using a variety of tools, among them executive orders, executive budgets, and legislative proposals and vetoes. A majority of governors have the authority to appoint state court judges as well, in most cases from a list of names submitted by a nominations committee.

About Governor (United States) in brief

In the United States, a governor serves as the chief executive officer and commander-in-chief in each of the fifty states and in the five permanently inhabited territories. As state leaders, governors advance and pursue new and revised policies and programs using a variety of tools, among them executive orders, executive budgets, and legislative proposals and vetoes. A majority of governors have the authority to appoint state court judges as well, in most cases from a list of names submitted by a nominations committee. Governors of states may also perform ceremonial roles, such as greeting dignitaries, conferring state decorations, issuing symbolic proclamations or attending the state fair. The governor may also have an official residence. In a ranking of the power of the governorship in all 50 states, University of North Carolina political scientist Thad Beyle makes the distinction between personal powers that vary from person to person, season to season – and the institutional powers that are set in place by law. Examples of institutional powers of governors are in colonial America, where governors were chosen by the ruling monarch of the British colonies. In the crown colonies of France, Spain, and Spain, the governor was chosen by ruling monarchs of the colonies, or by designees in the British Board of Trade. In colonial North America, governors were. chosen in a variety. of ways, depending on how the colony was organized. Depending on the individual jurisdiction, governors may have considerable control over government budgeting, the power.

of appointment of many officials, and a considerable role in legislation. In many states and territories the governor also has partial or absolute power to commute or pardon a criminal sentence. All U.S. governors serve four-year terms except those in New Hampshire and Vermont, who serve two-year term. In 47 of the 50 states the governor has the power to appoint someone to fill the vacancy until a special election is held; the governors of Oregon, Alaska, and Wisconsin do not have this power. In Arkansas, a gubernatorial veto may be overridden by an absolute majority. In Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee, the governor’s veto can be override by a simple majority vote, making it virtually useless. In all but seven states, governors can veto state bills, and in all but 7 states they have the power of the line-item veto on appropriations bills. In some cases legislatures can override a gubernatorial vetoed by a two-thirds vote, in others by three-fifths. The governor of N.C. had no veto power until a 1996 referendum. All governors are now directly elected, though in the past many territorial governors were historically appointed by the President of the U. S. The governors of the five extant U.N. territories, all governors are currently directly elected as well. In New Hampshire, governors are directly elected. governors are elected for a four year term, except for those in N.H., Vermont, New Jersey, and Vermont.

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