The government of the state of Rhode Island is prescribed from a multitude of sources; the main sources are the Rhode Island Constitution, the General Laws, and executive orders. The governmental structure is modeled on the Government of the United States in having three branches:

executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive di ...

legislative A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known ...

, and

judicial The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

Legislature

Pursuant to Articles VI, VII, and VIII of the Rhode Island Constitution, the legislature is vested in the

Rhode Island General Assembly The State of Rhode Island General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. A bicameral body, it is composed of the lower Rhode Island House of Representatives with 75 representatives, and the upper Rhode Island Se ...

. The General Assembly is bicameral, composed of the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

and the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

. The House of Representatives has a total of 75 members currently. The Senate has 38 members. The General Assembly meets in the State House.

Executive branch

File:Lt. Gov. McKee on Coast Guard Auxiliary Day (cropped).jpg,

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Daniel McKee Daniel James McKee (born June 16, 1951) is an American businessman and politician serving as the 76th governor of Rhode Island since March 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as Rhode Island's 69th lieutenant governor from 2015 to ...

(D) File:Sabina Matos 11.21.jpg,

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

Sabina Matos (D) File:Nellie Gorbea.jpg, Secretary of State

Nellie Gorbea Nellie M. Gorbea (born July 12, 1967) is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served as the Secretary of State of Rhode Island since January 2015. Gorbea is the first Hispanic to win statewide office in New England. ...

(D) File:Neronha3.jpg,

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

Peter Neronha Peter Franz Neronha (born December 17, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician from Jamestown, Rhode Island who currently serves as the Attorney General of Rhode Island. He previously served as the United States Attorney for the District of ...

(D) File:ABLE Press Conference (cropped).jpg, General Treasurer

Seth Magaziner Seth Michael Magaziner (born July 22, 1983) is an American investment professional and politician who is the U.S. representative for . He served as the 31st General Treasurer of Rhode Island from 2015 until 2023. A member of the Democratic Party ...

(D) The state elects a

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

, a

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

, a secretary of state, a general treasurer, and an

attorney general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

. The governor appoints a Sheriff, who, unlike most other sheriffs, has statewide jurisdiction. The governor appoints many officers to act as commissioners, directors, or other officers. Senate_chamber_at_the_Rhode_Island_State_House

Senate_chamber_at_the_Rhode_Island_State_House

The executive authority is vested in the governor, typically through various directors and commissioners. The lieutenant governor, though nominally in the executive branch, is a largely ceremonial position. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected on separate tickets by the electorate of Rhode Island. The governor's offices are located in the State House. Rhode Island is one of the few states that lacks a governor's mansion.

Departments and agencies

Rhode Island government has numerous departments, agencies, and divisions. The major ones are: * Department of Corrections * Department of Transportation * Department of Administration * Department of Public Safety *

Department of Health A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entities, such as states, counties and cities, often also operate a health department of their ow ...

* Department of Revenue **Division of Motor Vehicles **Division of Taxation * Department of Environmental Management * Department of Children, Youths, and Families

Judicial branch

The judicial branch of the state government consists of the

Rhode Island Supreme Court The Rhode Island Supreme Court is the court of last resort in the U.S. State of Rhode Island. The Court consists of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices, all selected by the Governor of Rhode Island from candidates vetted by the Judicial N ...

and the lower courts, which consist of the Superior Court, Family Court, District Court, Workers' Compensation Court and the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal.

External links

Rhode Island General AssemblyGovernor's OfficeState Website
{{Governors of Rhode Island, state=collapsed

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...