Government and Politics
Alabama is governed under a 1901 constitution, as amended; previous constitutions had been adopted in 1819, 1861, 1865, 1868, and 1875. The chief executive of the state is a governor, popularly elected to a 4-year term; a governor may not serve more than two consecutive terms. The state has a bicameral legislature, consisting of a 35-member Senate and a 105-member House of Representatives; all legislators are elected to 4-year terms. The state's highest tribunal is the Supreme Court, made up of 9 judges elected to 6-year terms. The 67 counties of Alabama are each governed by a board of commissioners. The state has 2 senators and 7 representatives in the U.S. Congress. It has 9 electoral votes.
The Democratic party has long dominated Alabama politics at the state and local levels. In contests for U.S. president, however, the Democrats after World War II lost their traditional firm hold on the state's electoral vote. Since 1948 the state's presidential electoral votes have often gone either to the Republicans or to minor-party candidates, as in 1968, when Alabama governor George C. Wallace carried the state as the American Independent party candidate. Two recent governors, Guy Hunt (1987 -93) and Forrest " Fob" James (1995 -99), were both elected as Republicans. U.S. senator Richard Shelby switched from the Democratic to the Republican party a day after the 1994 congressional elections. In 1998, however, Democrat Don Siegelman won the gubernatorial election.
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The United States of America
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The United States of America
by Millie Miller Nelson and Millie Miller NelsonThis book exhibits all of the diversity of the American states even as it ties the country into one awesome entity. The authors' inclusion of endangered species, biographical sketches on the famous Americans from each state, inventions, resources, records, and so much more make this a unique and multi-dimensional work. But it is the art and the treatment of the information that makes this book so special. With a light-handed, fresh approach, and tremendous respect for their subject, the author-
$7.99
Hardcover Book | Grades 3-6
Grades 3-6 $7.99
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USA Explorer Teacher Pack
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USA Explorer Teacher Pack
In this program, students track down clues from coast to coast on a mysterious mission to deliver a secret package. They make maps, learn state capitals and discover the people, places, and past times of the fabulous 50 states.
Along their journey, students snap travel photos, collect facts on over 100 landmarks, track and predict weather all around the country, and find more cross-country activities.
$49.95
CD-ROM | Grades K-3
Grades K-3 $49.95
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