U.S. state

U.S. state

In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are currently 50. Each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory and shares its sovereignty with the federal government. The U.S. Constitution is silent on the question of whether states have the power to secede from the Union.

About U.S. state in brief

Summary U.S. stateIn the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are currently 50. Each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory and shares its sovereignty with the federal government. Americans are citizens both of the federal republic and of the state in which they reside. State citizenship and residency are flexible, and no government approval is required to move between states, except for persons restricted by certain types of court orders. State governments are allocated power by the people through their individual constitutions. All are grounded in republican principles, and each provides for a government, consisting of three branches, each with separate and independent powers: executive, legislative, and judicial. The U.S. Constitution is silent on the question of whether states have the power to secede from the Union. The Constitution grants to Congress the authority to admit new states into the Union, but the U. S. Supreme Court, in Texas v. White, held that a state cannot unilaterally do so. Each of the 50 states reserves the right to organize its own government in any way deemed appropriate by its individual people, and to all powers of government not delegated by the federal Constitution. A state, unlike a federal government, has unenumerated police power, that is generally generally necessary for the welfare of its people. No two state governments are identical – Alabama, for example, contains 310 words for its police, while the Constitution of Alabama contains 310 – for the state of Alabama, 310 words – for its laws. The state government of each state is structured in accordance with its individual constitution, which is more elaborate and detailed than their federal counterpart.

There is a continuing debate over states’ rights, which concerns the extent and nature of the states’ powers and sovereignty. The general tendency has been toward centralization and incorporation, with theFederal government playing a much larger role than it once did. Historically, the tasks of local law enforcement, public education, public health, regulating intrastate commerce, and local transportation and infrastructure have generally been considered primarily state responsibilities, although all of these now have significant federal funding and regulation as well. Each new state has been admitted on an equal footing with the existing states. The original 13 original states came into existence in July 1776 during the American Revolutionary War, as the successors of the Thirteen Colonies, upon agreeing to the Lee Resolution and signing the United United States Declaration of Independence. Each then joined the first Union of states between 1777 and 1781, upon ratifying the Articles of Confederation, the first U. s. constitution. The states also ratified a new federal frame of government in 1787 to 1790, Later, from 1789 to 1791, each of the States also ratified the Constitution, which provides for the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches of the government. The Constitution of the United S. Constitution elaborated concepts of federalism. It also provided for a republican form of government, and separated power among three branches.