All State governments are modeled after the Federal Government and consist of three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The U.S. Constitution mandates that all States uphold a “republican form” of government, although the three-branch structure is not required.
Legislative—Makes laws (Congress, comprised of the House of Representatives and Senate) Executive—Carries out laws (president, vice president, Cabinet, most federal agencies) Judicial—Evaluates laws (Supreme Court and other courts)
What are the functions of the branches? All three branches serve to ensure that the government remains effective. The judicial branch ensures the interpretation of the law. The legislative branch defines and creates the laws, while the executive branch enforces the law.
