2 · The three branches, and Indiana's deliberately weak governor
Like the federal government, Indiana splits its power into three branches, but the balance between them is distinctly Indiana's.
Legislative: the Indiana General Assembly. A two-chamber (bicameral) legislature:
- House of Representatives: 100 members, 2-year terms.
- Senate: 50 members, 4-year terms. It writes state law and passes the budget (Indiana General Assembly, n.d.).
Executive: the Governor and elected statewide officers. The Governor is Indiana's chief executive, but the executive branch is plural: several statewide officers are elected separately (Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Treasurer, and the office recently renamed State Comptroller, see the elections section). Because these officials answer to voters, not to the Governor, executive power in Indiana is shared, not concentrated in the Governor alone.
Judicial: the state courts. Indiana's court system runs from trial courts up to the Court of Appeals and the Indiana Supreme Court. How Indiana's appellate judges reach the bench is distinctive and covered in the next lesson.
Indiana's signature feature: a deliberately WEAK governor. The single most important thing to know about the balance of power in Indiana: the General Assembly can override the governor's veto with a SIMPLE majority, the same majority it took to pass the bill in the first place (Indiana General Assembly, n.d.; Indiana Historical Bureau, n.d.).
Compare that to the U.S. Congress, which needs a two-thirds vote to override a presidential veto. In Indiana, a governor who vetoes a bill the legislature still wants can be overridden almost immediately. This makes the legislature the center of gravity in Indiana government, a design choice, rooted in the 1851 constitution's distrust of concentrated executive power.
Check yourself
Name Indiana's three branches, give the size and term length of each legislative chamber, and explain what makes Indiana's governor "weak" compared with the U.S. President.
Sources
- Indiana General Assembly. (n.d.). About the General Assembly. IGA.in.gov. https://iga.in.gov/information/about
- Indiana Historical Bureau. (n.d.). Constitution of 1851, Article 4 - Legislative. IN.gov. https://www.in.gov/history/about-indiana-history-and-trivia/explore-indiana-history-by-topic/indiana-documents-leading-to-statehood/constitution-of-1851/article-4-legislative/
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