The balance of power refers to the state of stability that occurs between competing forces. Separation of power majorly occurs between the legislature, the executive and the judiciary, which also characterizes the bureaucracy of a particular state (Finkelman 92). In the United States of America, the balance of power among the individual states is different. The three major institutions that hold power in the state of Illinois are the executive, the Judiciary, and the legislature with three levels of government that includes country, township and the municipal as well as many special districts (Finkelman 92). The separation of power in Illinois in relation to Texas does not have peculiarity because, in Texas’s constitution, the separation of power in the government is divided into the legislative, judicial as well as the executive departments (Richardson et al. 134). As such, the government of Illinois is guided by the three institutions which ensure the effective balance of power.
The balance of Power in Illinois
The most important institutions in the government of Illinois constitutes the Executive Branch, the Legislative, and the Judicial Branch. All the three government institutions hold significant powers according to the current constitution that was ratified in 1970 and has a Permeable as well as a Bill of Rights (Jónsdóttir 159). The constitution also points out that the three branches of the government should follow the Separation of Powers, with each branch having distinct supremacies. In Texas, the framers of the Constitution explicitly outlined it more than that of the United States as it indicates that no individual(s) from one of the departments is allowed to exercise powers that are properly attached to either of the others unless they are expressly permitted (Boushey and McGrath 91). In the same manner, the Constitution of the State of Illinois affirms that the three branches of government are separate and that none has the authority to exercise powers accorded to the other. Additionally, in terms of the powers of the government, the enumeration in the constitution of specified powers as well as functions are not to be interpreted as a limitation to the supremacies of the state government (Boushey and McGrath 91). The balance of power in the state of Illinois is therefore well presaged in the constitution, with each branch having its exclusively distinctive authority.
The Executive Branch of the government of Illinois exhibits similarities with that of the Federal Executive Branch since it enforces as well as administers the laws (Boushey and McGrath 91). The Executive Branch is headed by six most important people including the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and the Secretary of State, Treasurer, Comptroller as well as the Attorney General (Beyle and Ferguson 197). As the Chief Executive of the State, the Governor heads the Executive Branch and he must have attained 25 years of age and be a resident of Illinois three years prior to his election, in addition to being a United States citizen. The other five executive officials are elected by residents and the succession to the Governor’s office is from the Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General and finally, the Secretary of State (Beyle and Ferguson 203). All the elected executive officials have distinct roles that ensure the running of the State. For instance, the Governor ensures that laws are carried out and proposes the budget of the State amongst other powers. The Lieutenant Governor works with the Governor while the Attorney General serves as the Chief Lawyer for the State as well as the people of Illinois ("IL Executive Branch"). The Secretary of the State keeps the official records, the State Seal and also serves as the librarian while the Comptroller acts as the Chief Fiscal Controller Officer and also reviews bills and payments ("IL Executive Branch"). Lastly, the Treasurer is the banker of the State who is responsible for the safekeeping of monies that are deposited for the state.
The Legislative Branch is made up of a General Assembly that comprises the House and the Senate. While the members of the House are referred to as Representatives, those of the Senate are called Senators ("Overview Of IL State Legislation"). The leadership between the House and the Senate is distinct and the leaders are elected by their members and the majority party memberships determine who they nominate. The leader of the House is the Speaker who works alongside other leaders such as the Deputy Majority Leader, Assistant Majority Leaders as well as the Chairpersons of the Party Conference ("Overview Of IL State Legislation"). The Speaker of the House is responsible for controlling the flow of legislation, the schedule for the House of Representatives as well as determining when and if a bill should be called for a vote (Finkelman 109). The Speaker wields considerable powers and has an influence in the House. The Senate leadership is through the President of the Senate who acts in a similar way as the Speaker of the House.
The Judicial Branch of the government comprises of the Illinois Supreme Court, the Appellate Courts as well as the Circuit Courts ("About The Courts In Illinois"). The Supreme Court is the highest tribunal and has general, administrative as well as controlling authority over all the other state courts. It also hears appeals from the lower courts. The Appellate Court is concerned with appeals from the Circuit Courts. Additionally, the Circuit Court is the unified trial court in the state and all the courts in the Judicial Branch are headed by judges who are not allowed to hold any other office apart from their own.
The Culture of the State
There are several political doctrines that each individual state in the United States holds. For instance, in a liberal government, the central problem of the politics is the protection and the enhancement of individual freedom (Finkelman 106). Liberals, therefore, believe that the government is crucial to the protection of individuals from being harmed by others with the recognition that the government itself may be a threat to liberty. In a moderate government, the people limit the extent at which they adopt liberal or conservative ideas. As such, they are distressed by the harsh nature of the discourse in the modern politics. In a conservative culture, individuals believe in personal accountability with a limited government, individual liberty as well as free markets (Beyle and Ferguson 220). A conservative culture is therefore characterized by the belief that the government should facilitate its people with the freedom necessary to follow their own goals.
The culture in the State of Illinois is considered liberal because the government pursues the freedom of the citizens and is also involved in protecting individuals from being harmed by others as seen through the application of the law. For instance, the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of Illinois protects people from harm by declaring discrimination on any grounds a crime in the State (Finkelman 107). Additionally, the members of the state elect their leaders to present their ideas as well as grievances to the government. As such, they recognize that the government would limit their liberty and they elect representative leaders whom they view to be more liberal in their decisions. Additionally, both the Senate and the House are led by leaders elected by the majority party. Therefore, the culture in the State of Illinois is a liberal one since both the leaders and the citizen recognize the responsibility of the government to protect individuals.
Dominant Public Policy Issue
The most dominant issue in the State of Illinois at the time is the increase in campaign spending as well as the budget of the government. The Representative of the State, David Harris is scheduled to retire this year and one of the reasons behind his retirement is monetary issues ("Illinois Issues: Money Machines - How Big Donors Dominate Campaign Funding In Illinois"). For a long time, the State of Illinois has been spending more on pensions as well as services that the government can afford, a scenario which has led to monetary crisis. The budget of a particular state enables it to run smoothly but Illinois faces many fiscal problems especially with the prominent issue of the 2018 elections.
Illinois has scheduled an election which is expected be the most expensive race for governorship in the history of the United States (Egan, 2018). There has been humongous upsurge in the spending of campaigns which has continuously raised questions about the sources of money in relation to politics. Owing to the financial ordeal, the budget of the State of Illinois has faced crises, resulting into the jacking up of property taxes which has affected many people. The scenario has come after a history of monetary mismanagement; it is expected that against this backdrop, the situation will get worse if the lawmakers will not be able to reach a compromise of the budget.
Conclusion
The government of Illinois is managed by three distinct powers that include the Executive, the Legislature as well as the Judiciary. Each branch of the government exercises the separation of powers as per the constitution of the state that was adopted in 1970. No branch is expected to exercise its powers beyond its jurisdiction unless otherwise permitted. The culture of Illinois is characterized by liberalism since the citizens, as well as their leaders, recognize the importance of protecting individuals from being hurt by others through the Bill of Rights as well as other laws. In Illinois, the most dominant issue at the time is that of money with regards to campaign spending as well as the state’s budgeting.
Works Cited
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