The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is governed by a set of political tenets laid down in its state constitution. Legislative power is held by the bicameral General Court, which is composed of the Senate and House of Representatives. The governor exercises executive power with other independently elected officers: the Attorney General, Secretary of the Commonwealth, and Auditor. The state's judicial power rests in the Supreme Judicial Court, which manages its court system. Cities and towns act through local governmental bodies to the extent that they are authorized by the Commonwealth on local issues, including limited home-rule authority. Although most county governments were abolished during the 1990s and 2000s, a handful remain.
Massachusetts' capital city is Boston. The seat of power is in Beacon Hill, home of the legislative and executive branches. The Supreme Judicial Court is in nearby Pemberton Hill.
Federal government
Congressional delegation
For Congressional representation outlined in the United States Constitution, Massachusetts elects two senators to the Senate, as well as a number of Representatives to the House of Representatives proportional to the state's population in the US Census. From the 2010 Census, Massachusetts has nine representatives. As of the 2020 election, all these officials have been from the Democratic Party. This makes the Massachusetts federal delegation the largest single-party federal delegation in the United States.
+Congressional delegation of MassachusettsChamberDistrictOfficialPartyTerm beganTerm expiresSenateAt-LargeElizabeth Warren20132031Ed Markey 20132027House of Representatives1stRichard Neal (Dean) 198920272ndJim McGovern 19973rdLori Trahan 20194thJake Auchincloss 20215thKatherine Clark 20136thSeth Moulton 20157thAyanna Pressley 20198thStephen Lynch 20019thBill Keating 2011
Federal courts For federal court cases the State falls within the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts and appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
Electoral College Massachusetts has 11 votes in the electoral college for election of the President, which are given on a winner-take-all basis. The state joined the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact in 2009, though the Compact has not yet achieved sufficient national support to be activated.
Executive Massachusetts has 151 departments or agencies and over 700 independent boards and commissions. The head of the state's Executive Branch is by law the Governor, but it also has two types of executive officials that do not fall in the Governor's control. Constitutional officers are the elected officials specified by the state constitution, while independent agencies are created by statute and the governor exercises only indirect control through appointments.
Constitutional officers
<br/ >Constitutional officersIncumbent Office Status Ex officio Departments Took office Officers Maura Healey Governor Head of stateHead of government CabinetGovernor's CouncilCommander-in-chief of the National Guard Kim DriscollLieutenant Governor Deputy officer CabinetChair of the Governor's Council William F. Galvin Secretary of the Commonwealth Chief administratorKeeper of the SealRegistrar of deedsRecords officerChief Elections Officer Head of the Massachusetts ArchivesChair of the Massachusetts Historical Commission Andrea Campbell Attorney General Chief legal officer — Deb Goldberg Treasurer and Receiver-General Treasurer Chair of the Massachusetts School Building AuthorityChair of the Massachusetts LotteryChair of the State Board of Retirement Diana DiZoglio State Auditor Auditor general —
Governor's Council
The Governor's Council consists of eight councilors elected from districts every two years, as well as the lieutenant governor. The council provides for advice and consent for judicial appointments, appointment of certain public officials including notaries public and justices of the peace, pardons and commutations, and certain payments from the state treasury. The governor is the nonvoting president of the council, but is chaired by the Lieutenant Governor in their absence. + Massachusetts Governor's CouncilDistrictCouncilorPartyChairperson, at-large Kim Driscoll DemocratDistrict 1Joseph FerreiraDemocratDistrict 2Vacant --District 3Marilyn M. Petitto DevaneyDemocratDistrict 4Christopher A. IannellaDemocratDistrict 5Eileen R. DuffDemocratDistrict 6Terrence W. KennedyDemocratDistrict 7Paul DePaloDemocratDistrict 8Tara J. JacobsDemocrat
District attorneys and Sheriffs - Independently elected by district
Some executive agencies are tasked by the legislature with formulating regulations by following a prescribed procedure. Most of these are collected in the Code of Massachusetts Regulations.
Cabinet and government agencies The governor has a cabinet of eleven secretaries. They supervise the state agencies, which are under the direct control of the governor. Nine of the secretaries preside over the executive office of their respective areas.6A MGL 2 +Executive departments of MassachusettsOfficeSecretaryDepartmentsWebsiteExecutive Office of Administration and FinanceMatthew GorzkowiczAppellate Tax Boardhttps://www.mass.gov/orgs/executive-office-for-administration-and-financeBureau of the State HouseCivil Service CommissionDepartment of RevenueDevelopmental Disabilities CouncilDivision of Administrative Law AppealsDivision of Capital Asset ManagementState LibraryGroup Insurance CommissionHealthy Policy CommissionHealth Resources DivisionOffice on DisabilityOperational Services DivisionPublic Employee Retirement Administration CommissionTeacher's Retirement BoardExecutive Office of Energy and Environmental AffairsRebecca TepperDepartment of Agricultural Resourceshttps://www.mass.gov/orgs/executive-office-of-energy-and-environmental-affairsDepartment of Conservation and RecreationDepartment of Energy ResourcesDepartment of Environmental ProtectionDepartment of Fish and GameDepartment of Public UtilitiesState Reclamation BoardEnvironmental PoliceMassachusetts Office of Technical AssistanceExecutive Office of Health and Human ServicesKiame MahaniahMassachusetts Department of Children and Familieshttps://www.mass.gov/orgs/executive-office-of-health-and-human-servicesDepartment of Developmental ServicesDepartment of Elder AffairsDepartment of Mental HealthDepartment of Public HealthDepartment of Transitional AssistanceDepartment of Veterans' ServicesDepartment of Youth ServicesDepartment of Public HealthOffice of Refugees and ImmigrantsCommission for the BlindCommission for the Deaf and Hard of HearingRehabilitation CommissionMassHealthSoldiers Homes in Chelsea and HolyokeExecutive Office of Economic DevelopmentEric PaleyConsumers Affairs and Business Regulationhttps://www.mass.gov/orgs/executive-office-of-economic-developmentDepartment of Business DevelopmentDepartment of Telecommunications and CableDivision of BanksDivision of InsuranceDivision of Professional LicensureDivision of StandardsMassachusetts Marketing PartnershipExecutive Office of Labor and Workforce DevelopmentLauren JonesDepartment of Career Serviceshttps://www.mass.gov/orgs/executive-office-of-labor-and-workforce-developmentDepartment of Industrial AccidentsDepartment of Labor RelationsDepartment of Labor StandardsDepartment of Unemployment AssistanceExecutive Office of Public Safety and SecurityGina KwonDepartment of Criminal Justice Information Systemshttps://www.mass.gov/orgs/executive-office-of-public-safety-and-securityDepartment of CorrectionDepartment of Fire ServicesDepartment of Public SafetyDepartment of State PoliceEmergency Management AgencyMerit Rating BoardMassachusetts Organized MilitiaMunicipal Police Training CommitteeOffice of the Chief Medical ExaminerParole BoardSex Offender Registry BoardExecutive Office of Technology Services and SecurityJason Snyderhttps://www.mass.gov/orgs/executive-office-of-technology-services-and-securityExecutive Office of EducationStephen ZrikeDepartment of Early Education and Carehttps://www.mass.gov/orgs/executive-office-of-educationDepartment of Elementary and Secondary EducationDepartment of Higher EducationPublic Colleges and UniversitiesExecutive Office of TransportationPhillip Enghttps://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-department-of-transportationExecutive Office of Housing and Livable CommunitiesJennifer MaddoxDepartment of Housing and Community Developmenthttps://www.mass.gov/orgs/executive-office-of-housing-and-livable-communities
Legislature
The state legislature is formally known as the Massachusetts General Court, reflecting its colonial-era judicial duties. It has two houses: the 40-member Senate and the 160-member House of Representatives. Members of both houses have two-year terms. The Speaker of the House presides over the House of Representatives and controls the flow of legislation. The President is the presiding officer of the Senate.
The General Court is responsible for enacting the state's laws. A bill signed by the governor, or passed by two-thirds of both houses over his or her veto, becomes law. Its session laws are published in the Acts and Resolves of Massachusetts, which are codified as the General Laws of Massachusetts. On June 9, 2017, S&P Global Ratings downgraded Massachusetts' bond rating to AA (the third-highest tier) due to the legislature's inability to replenish the state's rainy day fund in the face of above-average economic growth. +Senate leadershipHouse leadershipPresident Karen SpilkaSpeaker of the House Ronald MarianoPresident pro tempore Will BrownsbergerSpeaker pro tempore Kate Hogan Majority Leader Cynthia Stone Creem Majority LeaderMichael Moran Minority Leader Bruce Tarr Minority Leader Bradley Jones Jr.
Judiciary
The judiciary is the branch of the government that interprets and applies state law, ensures equal justice under law, and provides a mechanism for dispute resolution. The Massachusetts court system consists of the Supreme Judicial Court, the Appeals Court, and seven trial-court departments.
Supreme Judicial Court
Judicial power is centered in the Supreme Judicial Court, which oversees the court system. In addition to its appellate functions, the Supreme Judicial Court is responsible for the governance of the judiciary and the bar, makes (or approves) rules for the operation of the courts and, on request, provides advisory opinions to the governor and legislature on legal issues. The Supreme Judicial Court also oversees affiliated judicial agencies, including the Board of Bar Overseers, the Board of Bar Examiners, the Clients' Security Board, the Massachusetts Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee, and Massachusetts Correctional Legal Services. Position Name Born Began service Mandatory retirementAppointed by Law school Chief Justice 2036Charlie Baker Harvard Senior Associate Justice2034Charlie Baker Suffolk Associate Justice 2029Charlie Baker Chicago Associate Justice2038/2039Charlie BakerStanford Associate Justice 2039/2040Charlie Baker Suffolk Associate Justice 2050Maura HealeyYale Associate Justice 2030Maura HealeyColumbia
Appeals Court
The Appeals Court the state appellate court, which means that the justices review decisions made in the Trial Courts. The Appeals Court also has jurisdiction over appeals from final decisions of three State agencies: the Appellate Tax Board, the Industrial Accident Board and the Commonwealth Employment Relations Board. The Appeals Court consists of a chief justice and twenty-four associate justices.
Trial courts Superior Court District Court Land Court Housing Court Juvenile Court Probate and Family Court Boston Municipal Court
County government