Governor
From Encyclopædia
In the
United States a governor is the elected
chief executive of a state. The office evolved from the post held in prerevolutionary times by the royal governor appointed by the British crown to administer a colony. The
chief task of a modern governor is to formulate and execute state policy. As leader of his or her party the governor can influence legislation, and through the preparation of the
budget, one of the main gubernatorial functions, he or she establishes state priorities. A governor also has the power to summon special sessions of the legislature, to veto legislation (except in the state of North Carolina), and to issue pardons and commute sentences in
cases that do not involve treason or
impeachment. In addition, the governor acts as commander in
chief of the state
militia.Most governors serve 4-year terms, although about a fifth of the states have 2-year terms. Many states set no limit on the
number of terms a governor may serve; some stipulate a limit of one term or two successive terms. Governors may be removed from office through
impeachment by the state legislature and, in 12 states, by RECALL. Because of the political power wielded by the governor, the position has been one of the traditional stepping-stones to the presidency.
bibliography: Bentley, Judith, State Government (1978); Clynch, E. J., and Lauth, T. P., Governors, Legislatures, and
budgets: Diversity Across the American States (1991); Ransone, Coleman B., The Office of Governor in the
United States (1956); Rosenthal, A., Governors and Legislatures: Contending Powers (1990).
