Civics q and a 2

What different names do the states use to refer to their elected state officials

state legislature, general assembly, general court

how many states have a bicameral legislature

all but one

how many states have a unicameral legislature

only Nebraska

what name is given to the larger house in the state legislatures

the house of represenatives

what name is given to the smaller house in state legislatures

senate

which state has the smallest state legislature

Alaska

which state has the largest state legisature

new hampshire

how do legislatures get their positions

they are elected

what do legislatures represent

the people who live in a particular district of that state

on what basis do the states have to set up election districts

in 1964 the U.S supreme court ruled that all state election districts must be equal in population or as equal as possible

what qualifications do state legislatures have to meet

they must be U.S citizens. They must live in the state and the district that they represent. in most states they must be 25. in some states they must be 21. in some they must be 21 for senetors and 18 for represenatives

in most states, what is the normal term that senators are elected

4 years

in most states, what is the normal term for represenatives

2 years

what types of sessions exist for state legislatures

the legislatures in more than half of the states meet in regular sessions every year. other state legislatures meet every 2 years. California has a two year session that meets for that entire period. in other states a session can last for twenty days to six months.

is it possible for states to put term limits on state legislatures?

efforts are put in…recent term limit proposals generally seek to limit/state legislatures to a maxium of 6 to 12 yearsmu

are salaries and benefits for state legislators the same for all states?

no, they vary widely from state to state. even so, most salaries are surprisingly low.

what individuals can preside over the Senate in the legislators?

lieutenant governor

what name is given to the presiding officer in the legislative house

the speaker

where is most of the work done in the state legislators

in committees

what steps are taken in legislators for a bill to become a law

a bill is introduced, the bill reaches to floor, the bill is sent to the second house, the bill is sent to a joint conference committee

what is the only state that doesn’t allow a governor to veto a bill

north Carolina

what is an item veto

the governor has the power to veto only one part, or item, of an appropriation bill

in what ways can citizens take part in the law making process

through a process called the initiative. citizens must draw up a petition describing the proposal. if a required number of voters sign the petition, the proposition, or proposed law, appears on the ballot for the next election, which citizens can vote for.

what does the process of recall allow citizens to do

a required number of voters sign a petition. A special election on the petition is then held. If a majority of voters favor the recall, the official is removed