What Role Do Governors Play In State Politics

Here in Connecticut and across the nation, governors are often considered the key figures in state politics. Governors are considered key figures because they hold the supreme power of the state, this power is vested in them through the state constitutions. According to Gary Rose’s book, Connecticut Government and Politics,

Governors are expected to be the leading cheerleaders for their states. They are expected to set the political tone, to manage state affairs. They serve as the primary face and voice of government during natural disasters or other crises. With this much power, of course, comes a great deal of expectation. If a state is not doing well – if it is losing more jobs than its neighbors during a recession for example, or

The states’ rights are grounded in the 10th Amendment of the United States Constitution. The 10th amendment states “the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” The governor’s role is outlined in the Connecticut State Constitution. Some of these roles include, signing and vetoing bills passed by the legislature, serving as commander in chief of the state’s military forces, delivering the report of the state, appointing public officials, scheduling and the governor has the power to grant reprieves after conviction. In addition to these legislative responsibilities, the governor is expected to faithfully execute the laws of the state. According to Gary Rose, “...the successful execution of laws depends heavily on the ability, motivation, and orientation of personnel working within executive agencies and commissions” (page 125). Therefore, it is incredibly important who the governor appoints to work within the executive branch in order for them to be successful during their

She had a very high approval rating during her time in office. While she was in office she was able to accomplish a lot. Her accomplishments include enchaining school safety; following a school shooting in Illinois, Governor Rell had all faculty and staff attend a second statewide conference on school safety. Rell also led Connecticut to reaching a record high of jobs in the state; her administration worked effectively to create a good paying jobs within the state. Governor Rell also inherited a mess due to her predecessor’s mistakes yet she was able to accomplish so much during her time as Governor. I believe that Governor Rell was also an effective government and was able to fulfill all of her duties outlined in the state