Government of New Jersey
Encyclopedia
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
.
The Legislature is responsible for the appointment of the New Jersey State Auditor
, the only state officer which is appointed by the legislature.
. 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.
comprises the New Jersey Supreme Court
, the state supreme court
, and many lower courts.
Separation of powers
The separation of powers, often imprecisely used interchangeably with the trias politica principle, is a model for the governance of a state. The model was first developed in ancient Greece and came into widespread use by the Roman Republic as part of the unmodified Constitution of the Roman Republic...
: the executive
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
, headed by the Governor of New Jersey
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
; the legislative
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
(consisting of the bicameral
Bicameralism
In the government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. Thus, a bicameral parliament or bicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of two chambers or houses....
New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
, consisting of the General Assembly
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
and Senate
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...
); and judicial
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
, headed by the New Jersey Supreme Court
New Jersey Supreme Court
The New Jersey Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It has existed in three different forms under the three different state constitutions since the independence of the state in 1776...
.
New Jersey State Constitution
The New Jersey State Constitution was adopted in 1947. The constitution has a bill of rights and separation of powers.Legislative
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
New Jersey State Auditor
The New Jersey State Auditor is a constitutional officer. He is appointed by the New Jersey State Legislature, and serves a term of five years. Within his power, the officer may investigate the spending and internal management control of any state or state-supported agencies...
, the only state officer which is appointed by the legislature.
Executive
The state executive is the Governor of New JerseyGovernor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
. 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
Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey
The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is a position that has existed since January 2010, following conjoint election with the Governor of New Jersey. The position was created as the result of a Constitutional amendment to the New Jersey State Constitution passed by the voters on November 8, 2005...
.
The Governor is responsible for appointing two constitutionally created officers, the New Jersey Attorney General
New Jersey Attorney General
The Attorney General of New Jersey is a member of the executive cabinet of the state. The office is appointed by the Governor of New Jersey and term limited...
and the New Jersey Secretary of State, with the approval of the senate.
There are eighteen departments and fifty-six agencies.
Departments
- New Jersey Department of AgricultureNew Jersey Department of AgricultureThe New Jersey Department of Agriculture is a state governmental agency that is responsible for promotion and protection of agriculture and agribusiness in the State of New Jersey...
- New Jersey Attorney GeneralNew Jersey Attorney GeneralThe Attorney General of New Jersey is a member of the executive cabinet of the state. The office is appointed by the Governor of New Jersey and term limited...
- New Jersey Department of Banking and InsuranceNew Jersey Department of Banking and InsuranceThe New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance is one of 15 principal departments in New Jersey government. The Department’s mission is to regulate the banking, insurance and real estate industries in a professional and timely manner that protects and educates consumers and promotes the...
- New Jersey Department of Children and Families
- New Jersey Department of Commerce
- New Jersey Department of Community AffairsNew Jersey Department of Community AffairsThe New Jersey Department of Community Affairs is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The department is headed by Commissioner Lori Grifa...
- New Jersey Department of CorrectionsNew Jersey Department of CorrectionsThe New Jersey Department of Corrections is responsible for operations and management of prison facilities in the U.S. state of New Jersey...
- New Jersey Department of EducationNew Jersey Department of EducationThe New Jersey Department of Education administers state and federal aid programs affecting more than 1.4 million public and non-public elementary and secondary school children in the state of New Jersey. The department is headquartered in Trenton.The Department is responsible for ensuring that...
- New Jersey Department of Environmental ProtectionNew Jersey Department of Environmental ProtectionThe New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is a government agency in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is responsible for managing the state's natural resources and addressing issues related to pollution...
- New Jersey Department of Health and Senior ServicesNew Jersey Department of Health and Senior ServicesThe New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of New Jersey.New Jersey's State Board of Health was established in 1877. Its administrative functions were vested in the Department of Health, which was created in 1947. In 1996, the latter was...
- New Jersey Department of Human Services
- New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce DevelopmentNew Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce DevelopmentThe New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of New Jersey.Intially constituted in the late-1940s as the Department of Labor and Industry, pursuant to P.L. 1948, c.446, the department is one of 16 executive branch departments in New Jersey...
- New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans AffairsNew Jersey Department of Military and Veterans AffairsThe New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs is a governmental department of the State of New Jersey. It is composed of the New Jersey Army National Guard as well as the New Jersey Air National Guard. They are administered by the Adjutant General and staff which oversees the...
- New Jersey Department of Personnel
- New Jersey Department of the Public AdvocateNew Jersey Department of the Public AdvocateThe New Jersey Department of the Public Advocate was a department within the Executive branch of the government of New Jersey that acted as a voice on behalf of the people of the state...
- New Jersey Department of State
- New Jersey Department of TransportationNew Jersey Department of TransportationThe New Jersey Department of Transportation is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey. It is headed by the Commissioner of Transportation...
- New Jersey Department of the TreasuryNew Jersey Department of the TreasuryThe mission of the New Jersey Department of the Treasury is to formulate and manage the state's budget, generate and collect revenues, disburse the appropriations used to operate New Jersey state government, manage the state's physical and financial assets, and provide statewide support services to...
Agencies
- New Jersey Office of Administrative Law
- New Jersey Advisory Committee on Police Standards
- New Jersey Board of Public UtilitiesNew Jersey Board of Public UtilitiesThe New Jersey Board of Public Utilities is a regulatory authority in New Jersey charged with the responsibility of seeing that "safe, adequate, and proper utility services are provided at reasonable rates for customers in New Jersey." The NJBPU regulates natural gas, electricity, water,...
- New Jersey Commission on Brain Injury Research
- New Jersey Building Authority
- New Jersey Casino Control CommissionNew Jersey Casino Control CommissionThe Casino Control Commission is a New Jersey state governmental agency that was founded in 1977 as the state's gaming control board, responsible for administering the Casino Control Act and its regulations to assure public trust and confidence in the credibility and integrity of the casino...
- New Jersey Clean Air Council
- New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research
- New Jersey Commission on Higher EducationNew Jersey Commission on Higher EducationThe New Jersey Commission on Higher Education is a government agency in New Jersey that is responsible for providing coordination, planning, policy development, and advocacy for the state's higher education system...
- New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology
- New Jersey Council on Local Mandates
- Delaware River Basin CommissionDelaware River Basin CommissionThe Delaware River Basin Commission is a United States government agency created in 1961 by an interstate compact, signed into law by President John F...
- New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel
- New Jersey Economic Development AuthorityNew Jersey Economic Development AuthorityThe New Jersey Economic Development Authority is an independent, quasi-governmental self-supporting entity in the U.S. state of New Jersey dedicated to broadening and expanding the state's economic base....
- New Jersey Election Law Enforcement CommissionNew Jersey Election Law Enforcement CommissionThe New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission is an independent governmental agency that is responsible for monitoring the integrity of campaign finances in elections in New Jersey. The Commission was established in 1973....
(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 LotteryNew Jersey LotteryThe New Jersey Lottery is run by the government of New Jersey. Its games consist of Powerball, Mega Millions, Pick-6, Jersey Cash 5, Pick-4, Pick-3, and scratch tickets. The Lottery is headquartered in the One Lawrence Park Complex in Lawrence Township, Mercer County.New Jersey Lottery players must...
- New Jersey Motor Vehicle CommissionNew Jersey Motor Vehicle CommissionThe New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission is the governmental agency responsible for titling, registering and inspecting automobiles and licensing drivers in the U.S. state of New Jersey....
- New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority (NJEFA)
- New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust
- New Jersey Health Care Facilities Financing Authority (NJHCFFA)
- New Jersey Meadowlands CommissionNew Jersey Meadowlands CommissionThe New Jersey Meadowlands Commission is a regional zoning, planning and regulatory agency established by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature in 1969...
- New Jersey NetworkNew Jersey NetworkThe New Jersey Network, or NJN, was a network of public television and radio stations serving the U.S. state of New Jersey. NJN was a member of the Public Broadcasting Service for television and the National Public Radio for radio, broadcasting their programming as well as producing and...
(NJN) - New Jersey Real Estate Commission
- New Jersey Redevelopment Authority (NJRA)
- New Jersey Schools Construction CorporationNew Jersey Schools Construction CorporationThe New Jersey Schools Development Authority is a public agency in New Jersey that is responsible for implementing an overhaul of the educational infrastructure of hundreds of schools in districts throughout all 21 counties of the State of New Jersey...
- New Jersey TransitNew Jersey TransitThe New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
- New Jersey Pinelands Commission
- New Jersey Pinelands Development Credit Bank
- New Jersey Professional Boards and Advisory Committees
- New Jersey Office of the Public DefenderNew Jersey Office of the Public DefenderThe New Jersey Office of the Public Defender is an agency that is a part of the government of the state of New Jersey, in the United States. The agency provides legal aid to "low income people charged with major crimes."...
- 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 InvestigationNew Jersey State Commission of InvestigationThe New Jersey State Commission of Investigation is an independent governmental fact-finding agency in the U.S. State of New Jersey whose mission is to identify and investigate organized crime, corruption and waste, fraud and abuse in government spending by state, municipal and school...
- New Jersey State Employment and Training Commission
- New Jersey State Ethics Commission
- New Jersey State LibraryNew Jersey State LibraryThe New Jersey State Library, based in Trenton, New Jersey, was established in 1796 to serve the information needs of New Jersey's Governor, Legislature and courts. The State Library is also responsible to assist in the provision of library and information services to all New Jersey...
- New Jersey State Parole BoardNew Jersey State Parole BoardThe New Jersey State Parole Board is a governmental body in the U.S. State of New Jersey that is responsible for assisting offenders to reenter society as law-abiding residents....
- New Jersey State PoliceNew Jersey State PoliceThe New Jersey State Police is the state police force for the state of New Jersey. It is a general-powers police agency with state wide jurisdiction when requested by the Governor, designated by Troop Sectors.-History:...
- New Jersey Turnpike AuthorityNew Jersey Turnpike AuthorityThe New Jersey Turnpike Authority is a state agency responsible for maintaining the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway...
- New Jersey Victims of Crime Compensation Board
- New Jersey Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor
Judicial
The state court system of New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
comprises the New Jersey Supreme Court
New Jersey Supreme Court
The New Jersey Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It has existed in three different forms under the three different state constitutions since the independence of the state in 1776...
, the state supreme court
State supreme court
In the United States, the state supreme court is the highest state court in the state court system ....
, and many lower courts.