How State Government Works
Aligned to C3.D2.Civ — C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.
What this lesson teaches
Government has levels — local, state, and national. State government usually has three branches: legislative (makes laws), executive (governor carries them out), and judicial (courts interpret them).
Worked example
A state legislature passes a law funding new roads; the governor signs it; if someone challenges it, state courts decide if it follows the state constitution.
Practice questions
- Name the three branches of state government and one job of each.
- How is state government different from local government?
- Who leads the executive branch of a state?
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Cómo Funciona el Gobierno Estatal
El gobierno tiene niveles — local, estatal y nacional. El gobierno estatal generalmente tiene tres poderes: el legislativo (crea las leyes), el ejecutivo (el gobernador las pone en práctica) y el judicial (los tribunales las interpretan).
Ejemplo: El congreso estatal aprueba una ley para financiar nuevas carreteras; el gobernador la firma; si alguien la impugna, los tribunales estatales deciden si está de acuerdo con la constitución del estado.
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