Government of Missouri facts for kids

The government of the U.S. state of Missouri is set up in a few main parts. There's the state government, which handles things for the whole state. Then there's local government, which includes county governments and city or municipal governments. These different levels work together to serve the people of Missouri.

For a long time, Missouri was known as a "bellwether" state. This meant that whoever won the presidential election in Missouri usually won the whole country. From 1904 to 2004, Missouri voted for the winning president almost every time! However, things have changed. Missouri hasn't voted for a Democratic president since 1996. In recent years, the state has tended to vote more for Republican candidates.

How Missouri's State Government Works

The Missouri Constitution

Missouri has a special rule book called its state constitution. The newest version was put in place in 1945. This constitution explains how the state government is set up. It divides the government into three main parts, called branches of government:

• The legislative branch (which makes laws)
• The executive branch (which carries out laws)
• The judicial branch (which interprets laws)

The Legislative Branch: Making Laws

The legislative branch is like Missouri's law-making team. It's called the Missouri General Assembly. This group has two parts, which is called being bicameral:

• The Missouri House of Representatives: This is the "lower house" and has 163 members.
• The Missouri Senate: This is the "upper house" and has 34 members.

Members of both houses have term limits. Senators can serve two four-year terms. Representatives can serve four two-year terms. This means they can serve a total of 8 years in either house.

The General Assembly meets in Jefferson City at the Missouri State Capitol. They usually start meeting in January after an election. Because it's a part-time job, many lawmakers also have other jobs outside of their legislative duties.

The Executive Branch: Carrying Out Laws

The executive branch is in charge of making sure the state's laws are followed. The main leader of this branch is the governor of Missouri. The governor is elected for a four-year term and can serve two terms. To be governor, a person must be at least 30 years old, have lived in Missouri for 10 years, and be a U.S. citizen for 15 years. The governor also chooses people to be part of the Cabinet of Missouri, who help run different state departments.

There's also a Lieutenant Governor of Missouri. This person has the same requirements as the governor. The lieutenant governor is also the president of the state Senate. They can talk about issues in the Senate and cast the deciding vote if there's a tie. If the governor can no longer do their job, the lieutenant governor takes over.

Missouri voters also elect other important leaders for the executive branch:

• The Missouri Attorney General (the state's top lawyer)
• The Missouri Secretary of State (handles elections and records)
• The State Treasurer of Missouri (manages the state's money)
• The State Auditor of Missouri (checks how state money is spent)

The Judicial Branch: Interpreting Laws

The judicial branch is made up of the state courts. These courts decide if laws have been broken and help settle disagreements.

The highest court in Missouri is the Supreme Court of Missouri. It has seven judges and meets in Jefferson City. These judges serve for 12 years.

Below the Supreme Court is the Missouri Court of Appeals. This court handles appeals from lower courts. It's divided into three areas:

• Western District (in Kansas City)
• Eastern District (in St. Louis)
• Southern District (in Springfield)

The courts where most cases start are called Missouri Circuit Courts. There are 45 of these across the state.

Judges for the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals serve 12-year terms. Circuit Court judges serve six-year terms, and Associate Circuit Court judges serve four-year terms. There's no limit to how many terms a judge can serve, but they must retire by age 70.

Missouri uses a special way to choose some of its judges, called the Missouri Plan. This plan tries to keep politics out of how judges are picked. When a judge's spot opens up, a special group looks at candidates and suggests three names to the Governor. The Governor then chooses one person. Later, voters get to decide if they want to keep that judge for a full term. This plan is used for judges in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and some circuit courts in larger areas like St. Louis City, Jackson County (Kansas City), St. Louis County, Clay County, and Platte County. Judges for other courts are elected directly by voters.

County and City Governments

Besides the state government, Missouri also has local governments. These include county governments and city governments.

Counties with more than 85,000 people can create their own special rules, called charters. Smaller counties must follow standard rules set by the state.

Missouri was the first state to let cities create their own charters. This gives cities more freedom to decide how their local government will work. Most cities choose to have a mayor and a city council to lead their local government. Council members are usually elected by people living in the city or in specific areas of the city.

See also

• Constitution of Missouri
• Missouri Sunshine Law