| As in all fifty states, the head of the
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| | courts: the state's main trial court is
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| executive branch of government is a
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| | called the New York Supreme Court, while
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| Governor. The legislative branch is
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| | the highest court in the state is the New
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| called the Legislature and consists of a
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| | York Court of Appeals. Local courts in
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| Senate and an Assembly. Unlike most
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| | towns and villages are called Justice
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| states, the New York electoral law
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| | Courts. These courts are the starting
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| permits electoral fusion, and New York
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| | point for all criminal cases outside
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| ballots tend to have, in consequence, a
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| | cities, and handle a variety of other
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| larger number of parties on them, some
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| | matters including small claims, traffic
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| being permanent minor parties that seek
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| | ticket cases and local zoning matters.
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| to influence the major parties and others
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| | Along with the unusual names for the
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| being ephemeral parties formed to give
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| | courts, judges in Supreme Court and the
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| major-party candidates an additional line
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| | Justice Courts are called Justices, while
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| on the ballot.
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| | on the Court of Appeals (and in other
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| New York's legislature is notoriously
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| | courts such as Family Court, County
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| dysfunctional. The Assembly has long been
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| | Court, and Surrogates Court), they are
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| controlled by the Democrats, the Senate
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| | called Judges.
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| has long been controlled by the
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| | In most of New York State, political
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| Republicans, and there is little change
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| | divisions such as cities are contained
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| in membership in elections. From 1984
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| | within counties. Those living outside of
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| through 2004, no budget was passed on
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| | cities in New York State automatically
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| time, and for many years the legislature
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| | live inside towns. Towns, which are
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| was unable to pass legislation for which
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| | county divisions in New York State with
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| there was supposed to be a consensus,
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| | governments of their own, can also
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| such as reforming the so-called
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| | contain villages, which are roughly
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| Rockefeller drug laws.
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| | comparable to what is thought of as a
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| The state has a strong imbalance of
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| | town in most of the United States; that
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| payments with the federal government. New
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| | is, villages are small incorporated
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| York state receives 82 cents in services
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| | municipalities with limited taxation
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| for every $1 it sends to Washington in
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| | powers. Towns in New York State, on the
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| taxes. The state ranks near the bottom,
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| | other hand, are organizationally more
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| in 42nd place, in federal spending per
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| | like New England townships. In 1898, when
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| tax dollar.
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| | New York City was consolidated into its
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| In 2002, 16,892 bills were introduced in
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| | present form, all previous town and
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| the New York legislature, more than twice
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| | county governments within it were
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| as many as in the Illinois General
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| | abolished in favor of the present five
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| Assembly, whose members are the second
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| | boroughs and unified, centralized city
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| most prolific. Of those bills, only 4%
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| | government.
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| (693) actually became law, the lowest
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| | Politics New York State consistently
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| passing percentage in the country. In
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| | supports Democratic candidates in federal
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| 2004, over 17,000 bills were introduced.
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| | elections. Presidential candidate John
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| New York's legislature also has more paid
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| | Kerry won New York State by 18 percentage
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| staff (3,428) than any other legislature
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| | points in 2004, while Al Gore had an even
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| in the nation. Pennsylvania, whose staff
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| | bigger margin of a win in New York State
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| is the second largest, only has 2,947,
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| | in 2000. Bill Clinton twice scored his
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| and California only 2,359. New York's
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| | third best performance in New York.
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| legislature also has more committees than
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| | In 2000, the state gave Al Gore his
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| any other legislature in the nation.
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| | second highest total. New York City is a
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| New York's subordinate political units
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| | major Democratic stronghold with liberal
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| are its 62 counties. Other officially
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| | politics. Many of the state's other urban
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| incorporated governmental units are
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| | areas, including Buffalo, Rochester,
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| towns, cities, and villages.
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| | Syracuse, and Utica are also Democratic.
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| Many of New York's public services are
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| | However, upstate New York, especially in
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| carried out by public benefit
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| | rural areas, is generally more
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| corporations, frequently known as
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| | conservative than the cities and tends to
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| authorities or development corporations.
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| | vote Republican. Heavily populated
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| The most famous examples are probably the
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| | suburban areas such as Westchester County
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| Metropolitan Transportation Authority,
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| | and Long Island usually hold the power in
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| which oversees New York City's subway,
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| | determining state elections and have
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| and the Port Authority of New York and
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| | tended to favor Republicans at the state
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| New Jersey (actually a bi-state agency).
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| | level and Democrats at the federal level
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| Some of New York's public benefit
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| | but that trend seems to be changing since
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| corporations have come under fire in
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| | the past few elections, with Democrats
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| recent years. The New York Times, for
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| | picking up some more power statewide in
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| instance, has come to see many of them as
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| | both regions.
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| obsolete and wasteful, even going so far
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| | Because New York State consistently votes
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| as to refer to them a shadow government.
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| | Democratic in national elections, many
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| Far from unique to New York State, and
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| | observers argue the state is
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| actually fairly common in
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| | insignificant in presidential contests.
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| English-speaking countries, public
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| | New York City, however, is the most
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| benefit corporations give the state the
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| | important source of political fundraising
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| opportunity to carry out economic goals
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| | in the United States. Four of the top
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| and infrastructure maintenance while
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| | five zip codes in the nation for
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| making risky investments that don't put
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| | political contributions are in Manhattan.
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| the state's credit on the line.
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| | The top zip code, 10021 on the Upper East
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| For decades it has been the established
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| | Side, generated the most money for the
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| practice for the state to pass
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| | 2000 presidential campaigns of both
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| legislation for some meritorious project,
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| | George Bush and Al Gore. Republican
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| but then mandate county and municipal
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| | Presidential candidates will often skip
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| government to actually pay for it. New
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| | campaigning in the state, taking it as a
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| York State has its counties pay a higher
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| | loss and focusing on vital swing states.
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| percentage of welfare costs than any
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| | Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City,
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| other state, and New York State is the
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| | a Republican, was quoted as saying in
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| only state which requires counties to pay
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| | 2004 before the presidential elections,
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| a portion of Medicaid.
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| | there was no point in backing a candidate
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| The court system in New York is notable
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| | as he already knew who was going to win
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| for the unusual names it assigns its
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| | before the elections occurred.
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