what is the balance of power between republican and democratic attorney generals

by Elyse Crooks 10 min read

What does the constitution say about the balance of power?

After that point, the Republican Party continued to grow its majority control of elected attorney general offices until 2018, when Democrats regained a majority of elected attorney general offices. In 2019, Republicans gained control of two Democratic-held attorney general offices held one office for a net gain of two seats. As a result, Republicans held 22 elected seats to …

What is the role of the Attorney General?

Feb 13, 2017 · One of the fundamental principles of the United States Constitution, the law of the land, is the balance and separation of power among the three branches of the Government: the Legislative, or law-making branch that is the U.S. Congress, the Executive branch which is headed by the President, and the Judiciary, which interprets the law at every level and settles legal …

How is the balance of power kept in check in Congress?

Oct 23, 2020 · Currently, the balance of power is fairly evenly held, with Republicans leading 26 AG offices and Democrats leading 25, but these numbers are not …

Is a Republican or Democratic President better for the economy?

Ballotpedia: The Encyclopedia of American Politics. In 1977, the Democratic Party held a total of 27 elected attorney general offices to the Republican Party's 16. The Democratic lead in attorney general offices would be maintained through the 1990s, as opposed to the other three top executive offices, which became majority-Republican following the 1994 midterm elections.

How much power does the US attorney general have?

As the chief officer of the Department of Justice, the attorney general enforces federal laws, provides legal counsel in federal cases, interprets the laws that govern executive departments, heads federal jails and penal institutions, and examines alleged violations of federal laws.

How many states have Democratic attorneys general?

The current party composition of the state attorneys general is: 23 Democrats. 27 Republicans.

What is the purpose of the attorney general's position in power?

The Attorney General's responsibilities include safeguarding Californians from harm and promoting community safety, preserving California's spectacular natural resources, enforcing civil rights laws, and helping victims of identity theft, mortgage-related fraud, illegal business practices, and other consumer crimes.

Is the US attorney general elected or appointed?

The attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States. Under the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution, the officeholder is nominated by the president of the United States, then appointed with the advice and consent of the United States Senate.

Who is the highest law officer?

Advocate General of the State is the highest law officer in the state. The Constitution of India (Article 165) has provided for the office of the Advocate General for the states.

How many attorney generals are there in New York?

New York Former Attorneys GeneralBarbara Underwood (Acting)2018Eric Schneiderman2011 – 2018Andrew M. Cuomo2007 – 2010Eliot Spitzer1999 – 2006Dennis Vacco1995 – 199859 more rows

Who does the attorney general of New York report to?

The attorney general acts independently of the governor of New York. The department's regulations are compiled in title 13 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations (NYCRR).

What is the difference between chief justice and Attorney General?

In layman terms, Chief Justice is a Judge and Attorney General is a Lawyer, both have distinct roles to play. The Attorney General of India is the highest law officer of the country and he/she is the chief legal advisor to the GoI. He is responsible to assist the government in all its legal matters.Feb 20, 2020

Is Attorney General a constitutional post?

The attorney general is selected by the Government and acts as its advocate, and hence is not a neutral person. Nevertheless, it is a constitutional authority, and his or her opinions are subject to public scrutiny.

Who was the last U.S. Attorney General?

List of U.S. attorneys generalAttorney GeneralYears of serviceMerrick Garland2021-PresentLoretta Lynch2015-2017Eric Holder2009-2015Michael B. Mukasey2007-200982 more rows

Who is the current U.S. Attorney General?

Merrick GarlandUnited States / Attorney generalMerrick Brian Garland is an American lawyer and jurist serving as the 86th United States attorney general since March 2021. He served as a circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1997 to 2021. Wikipedia

How many attorney generals are there in Texas?

OfficeholdersNo.NameTerm of service47Dan Morales1991–199948John Cornyn1999–200249Greg Abbott2002–201550Ken Paxton2015–present46 more rows

What is the purpose of the distribution of power among the three branches?

The distribution of power among the three branches is meant to ensure that no one branch of the government is able to gain a disproportionate amount of power over the other two.

Which body can declare war?

It is the only body that can declare war. The Congress may override a presidential veto with a 60 percent vote. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate initiate bills, or potential laws. The Senate also ratifies treaties, and confirms presidential appointments to federal posts.

What is the law of the land?

government. One of the fundamental principles of the United States Constitution, the law of the land, is the balance and separation of power among the three branches of the Government: the Legislative, or law-making branch that is the U.S.

Which branch of government decides the meaning of laws?

The Judicial branch of the Government, which includes the Supreme Court and all lower Federal courts, decides the meaning of laws, how to apply them to real situations, and whether a law breaks the rules of the Constitution.

Who is the commander in chief of the armed forces?

In addition, the President is the Commander in Chief of all armed forces, has the power to make treaties and appointments to federal posts, and ensures that federal laws are executed throughout the country.

Is Utah a red state?

Without question Utah is a bright red state, with President Trump and the Republican candidate for governor expected to carry the state in easy fashion. Incumbent AG Sean Reyes, running for his second full term, seems certain to prevail given that Utah hasn’t elected a Democrat to the AG office since 1996.

Is Bob Ferguson safe?

Incumbent AG Bob Ferguson is in a safe seat, and we expect to see him back for his third term, continuing to be a thorn in the side of the federal government should Trump be reelected.

Is Vermont a democratic state?

Vermont is a reliably Democratic state that will overwhelmingly support the Biden/Harris ticket in the presidential race. With a poorly funded opponent, AG Donovan is headed to an easy reelection.

Is Josh Shapiro reelected?

Like the race in North Carolina, incumbent AG Josh Shapiro is likely to be reelected, but is also in a high-profile race due to Pennsylvania’s pivotal role as an electoral battleground state. AG Shapiro is facing former County Commissioner Heather Heidelbaugh, who is running on a law-and-order platform. While Pennsylvania has backed the Democratic presidential candidate in every election since 1992 until 2016, President Trump carried the state in 2016, and the 2020 presidential race appears to be tightening. Given that the next race on the ballot is the attorney general’s race, a path to victory for Heidelbaugh would require coattails from the president’s reelection operation. In 2016, however, Democrat Shapiro won in spite of Pennsylvania supporting President Trump. With the power of incumbency on his side, AG Shapiro remains the favorite here.

Who is running against Josh Stein?

Incumbent AG Josh Stein is seeking reelection to his second term, facing Republican Jim O’Neill, a prosecutor from the western part of the state. While AG Stein will likely be reelected, this is a high-profile race. North Carolina represents ground zero in the 2020 election cycle as a key swing state for the presidential election, and with competitive races for the U.S. Senate and the governor’s office, as well as many statewide offices in play. As such the state has been subjected to heavy campaigning and get-out-the-vote efforts by both major parties. For O’Neil to win, President Trump would likely need to carry the state and pull O’Neil across the line on his coattails. For context, in 2016, the president won North Carolina in a close race and AG Stein narrowly won his race. The Democratic Governor Roy Cooper is doing well in public polling and could make the difference in giving down ticket Democrats, like Stein, the votes needed to win.

Election information

All 50 states have an attorney general who serves as the state's chief legal officer. The attorney general is responsible for enforcing state law and advising the state government on legal matters. In many states, attorneys general play a large role in the law enforcement process.

Primary elections

Ballotpedia is highlighting news and conflicts in battleground primary elections for attorney general and other offices in The Heart of the Primaries newsletter. Click the image to subscribe to the newsletter.

Important dates and deadlines

The table below lists important dates throughout the 2022 election cycle, including filing deadlines and primary dates.

Concern over so-called 'takeover' provision of Georgia election bill

In this Jan. 11, 2021, file photo, Lieutenant Governor of Georgia Geoff Duncan speaks in the Senate chambers on the legislative session's opening day in Atlanta.

Extreme bills die, but unease for future elections doesn't

Some of the most extreme pieces of legislation introduced never passed, Marsden noted. In Arizona, a bill that would have given the state legislature power to undo the certification of presidential electors by a simple majority vote up until the inauguration died in committee.

Why is gun control an issue in America?

The ‘right to keep and bear Arms’ is the 2nd Amendment of the US constitution – a document which established the country’s national government in 1787.

Is marriage legal in the US?

The GOP, which has a large Christian voting base, favours ‘traditional’ marriage between a man and a woman.

How do Republicans and Democrats feel about healthcare?

For nearly a century, Democrats have had at least some form of healthcare reform on their agendas.

Does America still execute people?

The Republican party broadly favours executing violent criminals while many Democrats oppose capital punishment – although that has not always been the party’s official stance.

How do Republicans and Democrats feel about the economy?

Traditionally, Democrats and Republicans feel extremely different about the economy.

What is the job of the Attorney General?

The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United Stateson all legal matters. The attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States.

When does the Attorney General have to resign?

Presidential transition[edit] It is the practice for the attorney general, along with the other Cabinet secretaries and high-level political appointees of the President, to tender a resignation with effect on the Inauguration Day(January 20) of a new president.

Who was the attorney general nominee for Clinton?

Gerson was fourth in the line of succession at the Justice Department, but other senior DOJ officials had already resigned.[14] Janet Reno, President Clinton's nominee for attorney general, was confirmed on March 12,[15]and he resigned the same day.

Is "general" a noun?

The title "attorney general" is an example of a noun (attorney) followed by a postpositive adjective(general).[8]". General" is a description of the type of attorney, not a title or rank in itself (as it would be in the military).[8]

Why did the FDR create the minimum wage?

Democrats argue that the minimum wage should allow a living wage. FDR created the minimum wage to protect workers during the Great Depression. During that time, it was $0.25 an hour, which translates to just under $5 in today’s economy. 11

How much did the Democrats gain in the Depression?

Not counting the Depression, Democrats gained 3.6% on average, while Republicans gained 2.8%. A president would have better growth if he had no recession. Another way to look at this debate is to consider what the presidents had to deal with during their terms. That’s one reason the Democrats did slightly better.

What do Republicans believe?

Republicans advocate the right to pursue prosperity without government interference. They argue this is achieved by self-discipline, enterprise, saving, and investing. Republicans’ business-friendly approach leads most people to believe that they are better for the economy.

What did the Republicans believe about the free market?

Republicans don’t want government interference with a free-market economy. They advocate for deregulation. President Herbert Hoover supported laissez-faire economic policies. He believed the free market would self-correct during the Great Depression. Like many Republicans, he argued that economic assistance would make people stop working. 25

What is supply side economics?

Republicans advocate supply-side economics that primarily benefits businesses and investors. This theory states that tax cuts on businesses allow them to hire more workers, in turn increasing demand and growth. In theory, the increased revenue from a stronger economy offsets the initial revenue loss over time.

How much does one dollar spent on food stamps increase economic output?

One dollar spent on increased food stamp benefits generates $1.73 in economic output. 1 .

How much does a democratic president grow the economy?

On average, Democratic presidents grew the economy 4.4% each year versus 2.5% for Republicans. 5. A study by Princeton University economists Alan Blinder and Mark Watson found that the economy performs better when the president is a Democrat. They report that “by many measures, the performance gap is startlingly large.”.

Who was the acting governor of the United States in 1873?

Due to the vacancy in the Lt. Governorship from John Beveridge ascending to be Governor in 1873, Glenn also became acting Lt. Governor. ^ A coalition of Democrats and Independents organized the House, and chose Elijah Haines, a Independent, to be Speaker. ^ Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.

Is Illinois a Democratic state?

Illinois is a Democratic stronghold in presidential elections and one of the "big three" Democratic strongholds alongside California and New York. It is one of the most Democratic states in the nation with all state executive offices and both state legislativ e branches held by Democrats. For most of its history, Illinois was widely considered to be a swing state, voting for the winner of all but two presidential elections in the 20th century. Political party strength in Illinois is highly dependent upon Cook County, and the state's reputation as a blue state rests upon the fact that the majority of its population and political power is concentrated in Chicago, Cook County, and the Chicago metropolitan area. Outside of Chicago, the suburban collar counties continue trending Democratic while downstate Illinois can be considered more conservative with some moderate regions, particularly suburban St. Louis.

Who won the 2014 Illinois governor election?

Notice Pat Quinn 's win despite the rest of the state's overwhelming support for Republican candidate Bill Brady, and that Quinn carried the same counties as losing Democratic Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias . 2014 Illinois gubernatorial election.

Is Illinois a blue state?

For most of its history, Illinois was widely considered to be a swing state, voting for the winner of all but two presidential elections in the 20th century. Political party strength in Illinois is highly dependent upon Cook County, and the state's reputation as a blue state rests upon the fact that the majority of its population ...