States

States

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 sub-national entities of the United States.

Additionally, there are five U.S. territories—American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands—and Washington, D.C.

State governments

See also: U.S. Constitution and Congress

States can organize their state governments any way they like, as long as they conform to the sole requirement of the U.S. Constitution that they have "a Republican Form of Government." In practice, each state has adopted a three-branch system of government generally along the sames lines as that of the federal government. Nebraska, for example, has a unicameral legislature.

State links
State	State area	State population	U.S. Congress	State executives	State legislature	State courts	State ballot measures
Alabama	50,646 square miles	5,030,053	U.S. Congress from Alabama	Alabama state executives	Alabama State Legislature	Courts in Alabama	Alabama ballot measures
Alaska	571,019 square miles	736,081	U.S. Congress from Alaska	Alaska state executives	Alaska State Legislature	Courts in Alaska	Alaska ballot measures
Arizona	113,653 square miles	7,158,923	U.S. Congress from Arizona	Arizona state executives	Arizona State Legislature	Courts in Arizona	Arizona ballot measures
Arkansas	51,992 square miles	3,013,756	U.S. Congress from Arkansas	Arkansas state executives	Arkansas State Legislature	Courts in Arkansas	Arkansas ballot measures
California	155,857 square miles	39,576,757	U.S. Congress from California	California state executives	California State Legislature	Courts in California	California ballot measures
Colorado	103,636 square miles	5,782,171	U.S. Congress from Colorado	Colorado state executives	Colorado State Legislature	Courts in Colorado	Colorado ballot measures
Connecticut	4,842 square miles	3,608,298	U.S. Congress from Connecticut	Connecticut state executives	Connecticut State Legislature	Courts in Connecticut	Connecticut ballot measures
Delaware	1,948 square miles	990,837	U.S. Congress from Delaware	Delaware state executives	Delaware State Legislature	Courts in Delaware	Delaware ballot measures
Florida	53,653 square miles	21,570,527	U.S. Congress from Florida	Florida state executives	Florida State Legislature	Courts in Florida	Florida ballot measures
Georgia	57,716 square miles	10,725,274	U.S. Congress from Georgia	Georgia state executives	Georgia State Legislature	Courts in Georgia	Georgia ballot measures
Hawaii	6,422 square miles	1,460,137	U.S. Congress from Hawaii	Hawaii state executives	Hawaii State Legislature	Courts in Hawaii	Hawaii ballot measures
Idaho	82,644 square miles	1,841,377	U.S. Congress from Idaho	Idaho state executives	Idaho State Legislature	Courts in Idaho	Idaho ballot measures
Illinois	55,512 square miles	12,822,739	U.S. Congress from Illinois	Illinois state executives	Illinois State Legislature	Courts in Illinois	Illinois ballot measures
Indiana	35,825 square miles	6,790,280	U.S. Congress from Indiana	Indiana state executives	Indiana State Legislature	Courts in Indiana	Indiana ballot measures
Iowa	55,853 square miles	3,192,406	U.S. Congress from Iowa	Iowa state executives	Iowa State Legislature	Courts in Iowa	Iowa ballot measures
Kansas	81,758 square miles	2,940,865	U.S. Congress from Kansas	Kansas state executives	Kansas State Legislature	Courts in Kansas	Kansas ballot measures
Kentucky	39,491 square miles	4,509,342	U.S. Congress from Kentucky	Kentucky state executives	Kentucky State Legislature	Courts in Kentucky	Kentucky ballot measures
Louisiana	43,210 square miles	4,661,468	U.S. Congress from Louisiana	Louisiana state executives	Louisiana State Legislature	Courts in Louisiana	Louisiana ballot measures
Maine	30,844 square miles	1,363,582	U.S. Congress from Maine	Maine state executives	Maine State Legislature	Courts in Maine	Maine ballot measures
Maryland	9,711 square miles	6,185,278	U.S. Congress from Maryland	Maryland state executives	Maryland State Legislature	Courts in Maryland	Maryland ballot measures
Massachusetts	7,800 square miles	7,033,469	U.S. Congress from Massachusetts	Massachusetts state executives	Massachusetts State Legislature	Courts in Massachusetts	Massachusetts ballot measures
Michigan	56,608 square miles	10,084,442	U.S. Congress from Michigan	Michigan state executives	Michigan State Legislature	Courts in Michigan	Michigan ballot measures
Minnesota	79,626 square miles	5,709,752	U.S. Congress from Minnesota	Minnesota state executives	Minnesota State Legislature	Courts in Minnesota	Minnesota ballot measures
Mississippi	46,924 square miles	2,963,914	U.S. Congress from Mississippi	Mississippi state executives	Mississippi State Legislature	Courts in Mississippi	Mississippi ballot measures
Missouri	68,746 square miles	6,160,281	U.S. Congress from Missouri	Missouri state executives	Missouri State Legislature	Courts in Missouri	Missouri ballot measures
Montana	145,549 square miles	1,085,407	U.S. Congress from Montana	Montana state executives	Montana State Legislature	Courts in Montana	Montana ballot measures
Nebraska	76,817 square miles	1,963,333	U.S. Congress from Nebraska	Nebraska state executives	Nebraska State Legislature	Courts in Nebraska	Nebraska ballot measures
Nevada	109,859 square miles	3,108,462	U.S. Congress from Nevada	Nevada state executives	Nevada State Legislature	Courts in Nevada	Nevada ballot measures
New Hampshire	8,953 square miles	1,379,089	U.S. Congress from New Hampshire	New Hampshire state executives	New Hampshire State Legislature	Courts in New Hampshire	New Hampshire ballot measures
New Jersey	7,354 square miles	9,294,493	U.S. Congress from New Jersey	New Jersey state executives	New Jersey State Legislature	Courts in New Jersey	New Jersey ballot measures
New Mexico	121,312 square miles	2,120,220	U.S. Congress from New Mexico	New Mexico state executives	New Mexico State Legislature	Courts in New Mexico	New Mexico ballot measures
New York	47,123 square miles	20,215,751	U.S. Congress from New York	New York state executives	New York State Legislature	Courts in New York	New York ballot measures
North Carolina	48,622 square miles	10,453,948	U.S. Congress from North Carolina	North Carolina state executives	North Carolina State Legislature	Courts in North Carolina	North Carolina ballot measures
North Dakota	68,993 square miles	779,702	U.S. Congress from North Dakota	North Dakota state executives	North Dakota State Legislature	Courts in North Dakota	North Dakota ballot measures
Ohio	40,858 square miles	11,808,848	U.S. Congress from Ohio	Ohio state executives	Ohio State Legislature	Courts in Ohio	Ohio ballot measures
Oklahoma	68,596 square miles	3,963,516	U.S. Congress from Oklahoma	Oklahoma state executives	Oklahoma State Legislature	Courts in Oklahoma	Oklahoma ballot measures
Oregon	95,995 square miles	4,241,500	U.S. Congress from Oregon	Oregon state executives	Oregon State Legislature	Courts in Oregon	Oregon ballot measures
Pennsylvania	44,741 square miles	13,011,844	U.S. Congress from Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania state executives	Pennsylvania State Legislature	Courts in Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania ballot measures
Rhode Island	1,033 square miles	1,098,163	U.S. Congress from Rhode Island	Rhode Island state executives	Rhode Island State Legislature	Courts in Rhode Island	Rhode Island ballot measures
South Carolina	30,064 square miles	5,124,712	U.S. Congress from South Carolina	South Carolina state executives	South Carolina State Legislature	Courts in South Carolina	South Carolina ballot measures
South Dakota	75,808 square miles	887,770	U.S. Congress from South Dakota	South Dakota state executives	South Dakota State Legislature	Courts in South Dakota	South Dakota ballot measures
Tennessee	41,232 square miles	6,916,897	U.S. Congress from Tennessee	Tennessee state executives	Tennessee State Legislature	Courts in Tennessee	Tennessee ballot measures
Texas	261,266 square miles	29,183,290	U.S. Congress from Texas	Texas state executives	Texas State Legislature	Courts in Texas	Texas ballot measures
Utah	82,376 square miles	3,275,252	U.S. Congress from Utah	Utah state executives	Utah State Legislature	Courts in Utah	Utah ballot measures
Vermont	9,217 square miles	643,503	U.S. Congress from Vermont	Vermont state executives	Vermont State Legislature	Courts in Vermont	Vermont ballot measures
Virginia	39,481 square miles	8,654,542	U.S. Congress from Virginia	Virginia state executives	Virginia State Legislature	Courts in Virginia	Virginia ballot measures
Washington	66,455 square miles	7,715,946	U.S. Congress from Washington	Washington state executives	Washington State Legislature	Courts in Washington	Washington ballot measures
West Virginia	24,041 square miles	1,795,045	U.S. Congress from West Virginia	West Virginia state executives	West Virginia State Legislature	Courts in West Virginia	West Virginia ballot measures
Wisconsin	54,166 square miles	5,897,473	U.S. Congress from Wisconsin	Wisconsin state executives	Wisconsin State Legislature	Courts in Wisconsin	Wisconsin ballot measures
Wyoming	97,088 square miles	577,719	U.S. Congress from Wyoming	Wyoming state executives	Wyoming State Legislature	Courts in Wyoming	Wyoming ballot measures

Initiative & referendum in the U.S.

Main page: Laws governing ballot measures

Initiate constitutional amendments

In 18 states, citizens can start an initiated constitutional amendment:

Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Florida · Illinois · Massachusetts · Michigan · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · South Dakota

Legislatively-referred constitutional amendments

Every state except for Delaware has legislatively referred constitutional amendments.

Initiated state statutes

In 21 states, citizens can start an initiated state statute:

Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Idaho · Maine · Massachusetts · Michigan · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · South Dakota · Utah · Washington · Wyoming

Legislatively-referred state statutes

In 24 states and one unincorporated organized territory, legislatures can use employ a legislatively referred state statute:

Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Delaware · Idaho · Illinois · Kentucky · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Mexico · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Puerto Rico · South Dakota · Utah · Washington · Puerto Rico

Veto referendum

In 25 states, citizens can overturn state statutes through veto referendum:

Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Idaho · Kentucky · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Mexico · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · South Dakota · Utah · Washington · Washington, D.C. · Wyoming

Statewide recall

In 19 states, citizens can recall their state officials:

Alaska · Arizona · California · Colorado · Georgia · Idaho · Illinois · Kansas · Louisiana · Michigan · Minnesota · Montana · Nevada · New Jersey · North Dakota · Oregon · Rhode Island · Washington · Wisconsin

Right of statute affirmation

One state grants the right of statute affirmation: Nevada

Right of citizen-initiated grand jury empanelment

In 6 states and one unincorporated organized territory, citizens can petition to impanel grand juries:

Kansas · Nevada · North Dakota · New Mexico · Nebraska · Oklahoma · Puerto Rico

See also

• U.S. Congress
• State politics
• Municipal government
• States with initiative or referendum
• Political recall efforts by state