A Comparison: Our National Government with Michigan State Government.
Our National and State Government affects us in our everyday life. From the time you wake up to the when you go to bed. If you really think about it government affects everything you do. People run the government, and the government runs the people. I am going to tell you about Michigan Government, and compare Michigan state Government, with our National Government.
Michigan has 3 main branches of government. It has an legislative, an executive branch and a judicial branch. Michigan has its own constitution. Michigans present constitution was written in the early 1960's. It has been amended many times. The constitution mainly talks about what Michigan is forbidden to do. It also talks about what rights people have, and if someone is accused of a crime in Michigan it says what rights they have.
Laws in Michigan are made in Lansing. The legislative branch is made up of a Senate and a House of Representative. Both parties are elected by the people. The House of Representative is made up of 110 members. Each one represents 83,000 people. Representatives serve two-year terms. Elections for representatives are held in the fall of every even-numbered year. The Michigan Senate is made up of 38 senators; each one represents 240,000 people. Senators serve four-year terms. The legislature has the power to expel any member for any reason. This requires a two-thirds vote of both houses. The legislature can pass any law that does not come into conflict with the National or State constitution. The legislature is given powers by the Constitution of Michigan. Some of these powers are the regulation of atomic energy, control of the sale of alcoholic beverages, and the control of state forests. The Michigan constitution gives the legislature power to propose amendments to the constitution. There are also some actions that the legislature is not to take.
