Our nation as well as every state has its own constitution. Florida's first constitution was written in 1838, and every twenty years, Florida's leading figures in government meet to make possible amendments (changes). It depends on the vote on whether those changes are made. Changes deal with the common good of the people living in the state as well as the rights of every citizen. The constitution is similar to a blueprint in how it explains the ways in which Florida can make a law. Our governor, Jeb Bush, must also work to have a balanced budget and not go into debt by not handling finances well. The state can never spend more than it collects. The constitution also explains how the state government is responsible for education, conservation, and public services within each city government.

Our state capital is Tallahassee, and that is where the state government is located. There are three branches of government- executive, legislative, and judicial. The executive branch carries out the laws of the state and is the most important branch. The governor leads the executive branch and serves a four-year term, unless elected for other terms. The legislative branch makes laws as well and consists of the House of Representatives as well as the Senate. The House of Representatives has more elected to membership with 120 members while the Senate only has 40 members. However, the 40 members of the Senate serve four year terms while the 120 members of the House serve two year terms. As for the last branch, the judicial branch, think of the first three letters, j-u-d, which tells you that this branch deals with the judges and the courts. Our state's highest court is the Florida Supreme Court, which consists of seven judges that settle disagreements about laws that are made.

For more on Florida government, look at the Houghton-Mifflin Social Studies book, pages 330-333.