Government of New Jersey
The government of New Jersey was established by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the current state constitution. It comprises three branches: the executive, headed by the Governor of New Jersey; the legislative (consisting of the bicameral New Jersey Legislature, consisting of the General Assembly and Senate); and judicial, headed by the New Jersey Supreme Court.
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New Jersey State Constitution [edit]
The New Jersey State Constitution[1] was adopted in 1947. The constitution has a bill of rights and separation of powers.
Legislative [edit]
The NJ Constitution provides for a bicameral Legislature consisting of a Senate of 40 members and an Assembly of 80 members. Each of the 40 legislative districts elects one Senator and two Assembly members. Assembly members are elected by the people for a two-year term in all odd-numbered years; Senators are elected in the years ending in 1, 3, and 7 and thus serve either four or two year terms.
The Legislature is responsible for the appointment of the New Jersey State Auditor, the only state officer which is appointed by the legislature.
Executive [edit]
The state executive is the Governor of New Jersey. He heads the executive branch, which is organized into departments, which may not number more than twenty according to the constitution. Temporary commissions may be allocated by law for special purposes outside of the departments. As of 2010, one of the departments may be headed by the Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey.
The Governor is responsible for appointing two constitutionally created officers, the New Jersey Attorney General and the New Jersey Secretary of State, with the approval of the senate.
There are eighteen departments and fifty-six agencies.
Departments [edit]
- New Jersey Department of Agriculture
- New Jersey Attorney General
- New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance
- New Jersey Department of Children and Families
- New Jersey Department of Commerce
- New Jersey Department of Community Affairs
- New Jersey Department of Corrections
- New Jersey Department of Education
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
- New Jersey Department of Executive
- New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
- New Jersey Department of Human Services
- New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development
- New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
- New Jersey Department of Personnel
- New Jersey Department of the Public Advocate
- New Jersey Department of State
- New Jersey Department of Transportation
- New Jersey Department of the Treasury
Agencies [edit]
- New Jersey Office of Administrative Law
- New Jersey Advisory Committee on Police Standards
- New Jersey Board of Public Utilities
- New Jersey Commission on Brain Injury Research
- New Jersey Building Authority
- New Jersey Casino Control Commission
- New Jersey Clean Air Council
- New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research
- New Jersey Commission on Higher Education
- New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology
- New Jersey Council on Local Mandates
- Delaware River Basin Commission
- New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control
- New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel
- New Jersey Economic Development Authority
- New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (Campaign and Lobbying Disclosure)
- New Jersey Emergency Management Agency
- New Jersey Energy Master Plan Agency
- Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA)
- Garden State Preservation Trust
- New Jersey Governor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
- Higher Education Student Assistance Authority
- New Jersey Highlands Council
- New Jersey Historic Trust (NJHT)
- New Jersey Homeland Security
- New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency
- New Jersey Housing Resource Center (NJHRC)
- New Jersey Office of Information Technology
- New Jersey Inspector General
- New Jersey Interstate Environmental Commission
- New Jersey Lottery
- New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission
- New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority (NJEFA)
- New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust
- New Jersey Health Care Facilities Financing Authority (NJHCFFA)
- New Jersey Meadowlands Commission
- New Jersey Network (NJN)
- New Jersey Real Estate Commission
- New Jersey Redevelopment Authority (NJRA)
- New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation
- New Jersey Transit
- New Jersey Pinelands Commission
- New Jersey Pinelands Development Credit Bank
- New Jersey Professional Boards and Advisory Committees
- New Jersey Office of the Public Defender
- New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission
- New Jersey Commission on Spinal Cord Research
- New Jersey State Casino Reinvestment Development Authority
- New Jersey State Commission of Investigation
- New Jersey State Employment and Training Commission
- New Jersey State Ethics Commission
- New Jersey State Library
- New Jersey State Parole Board
- New Jersey State Police
- New Jersey Turnpike Authority
- New Jersey Victims of Crime Compensation Board
- New Jersey Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor
Judicial [edit]
The state court system of New Jersey comprises the New Jersey Supreme Court, the state supreme court, and many lower courts.
The New Jersey Supreme Court [edit]
The New Jersey Supreme Court[2] consists of a chief justice and six associate justices. All are appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of a majority of the membership of the state senate. Justices serve an initial seven-year term, after which they can be reappointed to serve until age 70.
Budget [edit]
The budget for fiscal year 2010 was $29.3 billion. In April 2010, the government was anticipating a $10.7 billion shortfall, the highest for any state in the country.[3]
Taxes [edit]
Property taxes rose 70% between 2000 and 2010. The real estate tax per homeowner in 2010 was $7,281.[3]
References [edit]
External links [edit]
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