| As in the national government of the
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| | Supreme Court in Washington, D.C..
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| United States, power in Minnesota is
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| | In addition to the standard city and
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| divided into three main branches:
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| | county levels of government found in the
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| Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.
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| | United States, Minnesota also has other
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| The executive branch is headed by the
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| | entities that provide governmental
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| governor, currently Tim Pawlenty, a
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| | oversight and planning. Some actions in
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| Republican, whose term began 6 January
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| | the Twin Cities metropolitan area are
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| 2003. The current lieutenant governor of
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| | coordinated by the Metropolitan Council,
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| Minnesota is Carol Molnau. Molnau also
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| | and many lakes and rivers are overseen by
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| currently serves as the head of the
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| | watershed districts and soil and water
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| Minnesota Department of Transportation.
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| | conservation districts.
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| Both the governor and lieutenant governor
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| | Politics Minnesota is known for active
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| have four-year terms. The governor has a
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| | yet quirky politics, with populism being
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| cabinet consisting of the leaders of
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| | a longstanding force among all of the
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| various government agencies in the state,
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| | political parties that call the state
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| called commissioners. The full list of
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| | home. Minnesota politics include such
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| governors, and the dates they took
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| | oddities as a professional wrestler
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| office, is available at List of Governors
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| | turned governor and a protester turned
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| of Minnesota. The other constitutional
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| | crowd-surfing mayor not to mention one of
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| offices are secretary of state, attorney
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| | the all-time most liberal senators, Paul
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| general and state auditor.
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| | Wellstone. 77.3% of eligible Minnesotans
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| The Minnesota Legislature is a bicameral
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| | voted in the 2004 U.S. presidential
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| body consisting of the Senate and the
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| | election, the highest of any U.S. state.
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| House of Representatives. The state has
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| | Political conservatism is less strongly
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| 67 districts, each covering about 60,000
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| | linked to church attendance in most of
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| people. Each district has one senator and
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| | Minnesota than in other parts of the
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| two representatives (each district being
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| | country, perhaps a reflection of the
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| divided into A and B subsections).
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| | strong mainline Protestant and Roman
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| Senators serve for four years, and
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| | Catholic following, though in the
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| representatives serve for two years. In
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| | elections of 2000, 2002, and 2004 it was
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| the November 2004 election, the
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| | shown that this trend was in the process
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| Republican Party retained control of the
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| | of changing in some Twin Cities voting
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| Minnesota House of Representatives by a
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| | precincts.
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| single seat (68-66), having lost a total
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| | As a result of its liberal and populist
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| of 13 seats. The Minnesota Senate is
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| | political culture throughout much of the
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| controlled by the Minnesota
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| | latter half of the 20th century,
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| Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL).
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| | Minnesota has voted for Democrats for
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| After picking up two seats in local
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| | president longer than any other state
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| special elections on 16 November 2005,
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| | (the District of Columbia has voted for a
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| and 27 December, 2005, the DFL controls
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| | Democrat in every election since 1964),
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| the senate (38-29). There was one
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| | since 1976. Minnesota and the District of
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| Independence Party state senator, former
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| | Columbia were the only electoral votes
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| Republican Sheila Kiscaden (IP-Rochester)
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| | not won by incumbent Republican president
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| who caucused with the DFL. She officially
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| | Ronald Reagan, voting instead for former
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| joined the party in January 2006,
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| | Vice President of the United States and
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| bringing their lead to eight seats.
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| | former U.S. Senator Walter Mondale, a
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| Minnesota's court system has three
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| | Minnesota native. It should be noted that
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| levels: Trial courts. The state is split
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| | a Minnesotan ran on the Democratic ticket
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| into 10 judicial districts, with 257
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| | as either President or Vice President in
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| judges.
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| | the 1964, 1968, 1976, 1980 and 1984. In
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| Most state cases start in the trial
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| | 2004, John Kerry narrowly won the state's
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| courts.
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| | 10 electoral votes by a margin of three
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| Minnesota Court of Appeals. This body
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| | percentage points with 51.1% of the vote.
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| hears appeals on cases tried in the trial
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| | Republican strength is greatest in
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| courts. There are 16 judges, who divide
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| | southern Minnesota and the suburbs of
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| into three-judge panels to hear appeals
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| | Minneapolis, especially in the area west
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| in courts across the state.
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| | of the city, and in developing outer
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| Minnesota Supreme Court. The seven
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| | suburban communities. Democrats hold
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| justices on the Supreme Court hear
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| | tremendous strength in Minneapolis/ St.
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| appeals from the Court of Appeals, the
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| | Paul proper and in the Iron Range of
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| Tax Court, and the Worker's Compensation
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| | northeastern Minnesota, including Duluth.
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| Court. The court automatically reviews
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| | The state also enjoys a strong and active
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| first-degree murder convictions, and
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| | third party movement. The Reform Party
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| settles disputes over legislative
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| | was able to elect former mayor of
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| elections.
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| | Brooklyn Park, and former wrestling
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| The state has two special courts created
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| | superstar Jesse Ventura to the
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| by state law as executive-branch
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| | governorship in 1998; however Ventura
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| agencies: The Tax Court deals with
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| | left the Reform Party in 2000 when Pat
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| non-criminal tax cases across the state.
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| | Buchanan took control. Ventura maintained
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| It has three judges appointed by the
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| | close ties to the Independence Party, but
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| governor to six-year terms, following
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| | chose not to seek reelection. In 2002 the
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| approval from the state Senate The
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| | Independence Party ran former democratic
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| Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals
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| | congressman Tim Penny in an unsuccessful
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| deals with cases involving worker
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| | bid for the governorship.
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| injuries referred to it on appeal, or
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| | Penny earned about 16% of the vote.
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| transferred from district court. It has
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| | The state's Green Party has elected
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| five judges appointed by the governor to
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| | several city council members and other
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| six-year terms, following approval from
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| | local office-holders in Duluth,
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| the state Senate Federal cases are heard
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| | Minneapolis and Winona, and has made
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| in the United States District Court for
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| | strong runs for state legislature during
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| the District of Minnesota, which holds
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| | the past two election cycles. In 2000,
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| court in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth,
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| | Green Party candidate Ralph Nader
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| and Fergus Falls. Minnesota is part of
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| | received just over 5% of the presidential
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| the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals,
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| | votes cast, gaining Major Party Status
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| which is based in St. Louis, Missouri.
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| | for the Green Party of Minnesota.
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| Appeals beyond this level go to the U.S.
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