Government

Iowa is governed under its 1857 constitution, the second in its history. The first Constitution was adopted in 1846 when Iowa became a state. The governor is the head of state. The governor is elected to a four-year term and can serve an unlimited number of terms. The governor appoints the heads of state agencies and departments. Other appointments must be approved by the state Senate. The other high executive officials such as the lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor, attorney general, teasurer, and secretary of agriculture are all elected to four-year terms.

The state legislature is called the General Assembly. The General Assemly consists of two houses: a 50-member Senate and a 100-member House of Representatives. State senators serve four years and state representatives serve two years.

The state's judiciary consists of the Supreme Court, which is the highest court in the state. Iowa also has a Court of appeals, and a district court with branches throughout the state. The governor appoints the seven justices of the Supreme Court and the judges of the other courts from lists submitted by nominating commissions. The judges stand for retention in a nonpartisan election.

Most cities in Iowa have a mayor-council form of government and many have a council-manager government. Iowa has 99 counties and is represented in the United States Congress by two senators and five representatives.

Governors of Iowa