Welcome to Rainbow City Alabama


Alabama Government

State governmentessentially the only political party in
Alabama's government is supervised byevery Southern state. For nearly 100
the Alabama Constitution, which wasyears, local and state elections in
ratified in 1901. At more than 770Alabama were decided in the Democratic
amendments and 310,000 words, it is theParty primary, with generally no
world's longest constitution and isRepublican challenger running. It was
roughly forty times the length of thenot until the 1980s that Republicans
U.S. Constitution.began to successfully challenge and win
Alabama is divided into three co-equalelections in local and state offices.
branches:Alabama state politics gained nationwide
The legislative branch is the Alabamaand international attention in the 1950s
Legislature, a bicameral assemblyand 1960s during the American Civil
composed of the Alabama House ofRights Movement, when it
Representatives, with 105 members, andbureaucratically, and at times,
the Alabama Senate, with 35 members. Theviolently resisted protests for
Legislature is responsible for writing,electoral and social reform. This ended
debating, passing, or defeating stateup hurting Alabama's image and making it
legislation.out to be a hotbed for racism. The
The executive branch is responsible forstate's governor during the period,
the execution and oversight of laws. ItGeorge Wallace, remains a notorious and
is headed by the Governor of Alabama.controversial figure.
Other members of executive branchFederal politics
include the cabinet, the AttorneyFrom 1876 through 1956, Alabama
General of Alabama, the Alabamasupported only Democratic presidential
Secretary of State, the Alabamacandidates, by large margins. 1960 was a
Commissioner of Agriculture andcurious election; the Democrats won with
Industries, the Alabama State Treasurer,John F. Kennedy on the ballot, but the
and the Alabama State Auditor.Democratic electors gave most of their
The judicial branch is responsible forelectoral votes as a protest to someone
interpreting the Constitution andelse. In 1964, Republican Barry
applying the law in state criminal andGoldwater carried the state. In the 1968
civil cases. The highest court is thepresidential election, Alabama supported
Supreme Court of Alabama.native son and American Independent
Local and county governmentParty candidate George Wallace over both
Alabama has 67 counties. Each county hasRichard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey. In
its own elected legislative branch,1976, Democratic candidate Jimmy Carter
usually called the Board ofcarried the state, the region, and the
Commissioners, which usually also hasnation, but Democratic control of the
executive authority in the county. Dueregion slipped thereafter. Since 1980,
to the restraints placed in the Alabamathe Republican party has become
Constitution, all but 7 countiesincreasingly dominant in Alabama's
(Jefferson, Lee, Mobile, Madison,federal elections. In local politics, by
Montgomery, Shelby, and Tuscaloosa) incontrast, Democrats still control many
the state have little to no home rule.offices, such as their large and long
Instead, most counties in the state muststanding majority in the Alabama
lobby the Local Legislation Committee ofLegislature.
the state legislature to get simpleIn 2004, George W. Bush won Alabama's
local policies such as waste disposal tonine electoral votes by a margin of 25
land use zoning.percentage points with 62.5% of the
Alabama is an alcoholic beverage controlvote. The only 11 counties voting
state; the government holds a monopolyDemocratic were Black Belt counties,
on the sale of alcohol.where African Americans are in the
State politicsmajority. Alabama is one of the most
The current governor of the state is Bobconservative states in the country;
Riley. The lieutenant governor is LucyShelby County, in suburban Birmingham,
Baxley. The Democratic Party currentlyand the city of San Francisco,
holds a large majority in both houses ofCalifornia are the closest pair of
the Legislature. Due to thegreatly populated areas to being
Legislature's power to override apolitical polar opposites. In 2004, Bush
gubernatorial veto by a mere simplewon Shelby County, and John Kerry won
majority (most state LegislaturesSan Francisco, each with approximately
require a 2/3 majority to override a80% of the vote. Although it must be
veto), the relationship between thesaid, the above mentioned black belt
executive and legislative branches cancounties voted the most Democratic in
be easily strained when differentthe country, giving 97% of the vote to
parties control both branches.Kerry.
During Reconstruction following theThe state's two current U.S. senators
American Civil War, Alabama was occupiedare Jefferson B. Sessions III and
by federal troops of the Third MilitaryRichard C. Shelby, both from the
District under General John Pope. InRepublican Party.
1874 the Redeemers took control of theIn the U.S. House of Representatives,
state government from the Republicans.the state is represented by seven
After 1890 a coalition of whites passedmembers, five of whom are Republicans,
laws to segregate and disenfranchiseand two Democrats. The Representatives
black residents. The state became partare Jo Bonner, Terry Everett, Mike D.
of the "Solid South," a one-party systemRogers, Robert Aderholt, Bud Cramer,
in which the Democratic Party becameSpencer Bachus, and Artur Davis.



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