The government of Nevada comprises three branches of government: the executive branch consisting of the

governor of Nevada 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 r ...

and the governor's cabinet along with the other elected constitutional officers; the

legislative branch 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 ...

consisting of the

Nevada Legislature The Nevada Legislature is a bicameral body, consisting of the lower house, the Assembly, with 42 members, and the upper house, the Senate, with 21. With a total of 63 seats, the Legislature is the third-smallest bicameral state legislatur ...

which includes the

Assembly Assembly may refer to: Organisations and meetings * Deliberative assembly, a gathering of members who use parliamentary procedure for making decisions * General assembly, an official meeting of the members of an organization or of their representa ...

and the Senate; and the

judicial branch 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 ...

consisting of the

Supreme Court of Nevada The Supreme Court of Nevada is the highest state court of the U.S. state of Nevada, and the head of the Nevada Judiciary. The main constitutional function of the Supreme Court is to review appeals made directly from the decisions of the distric ...

and lower courts.

Executive

The

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 ...

and the governor's cabinet, along with five other elected statewide constitutional officers, constitute the executive branch.

Governor

The governor of Nevada is the chief magistrate of Nevada,NV Const. art. V, § 1. the head of the executive department of the state's government, and the commander-in-chief of the

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

military forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the

, to convene the legislature at any time, and, except in cases of treason or impeachment, to grant pardons and reprieves. The governor has a four-year term. To be elected governor, a person must be at least 25 years old, and must have been a citizen of Nevada for at least two years, at the time of election. The current governor is

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Joe Lombardo Joseph Michael Lombardo (born November 8, 1962) is an American politician and law enforcement officer serving as the 31st governor of Nevada since January 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 17th sheriff of Clark County from 2015 ...

Constitutional officers

Nevadans elect for four-year terms a lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, state controller, and an attorney general at the same time and manner of choosing the governor. These independently elected executive-branch officers exercise powers and perform functions independent of both the governor and legislature. The current Lieutenant Governor is

Stavros Anthony Stavros S. Anthony (Greek: ''Σταύρος Αντωνίου'') (born January 13, 1957) is an American politician and retired law enforcement officer who is the 37th lieutenant governor of Nevada, since 2023. Anthony won the 2022 Nevada lieutenan ...

(R). The Attorney General is Aaron D. Ford (D), the Secretary of State is

Cisco Aguilar Francisco Aguilar is an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he has served as the Secretary of State of Nevada since 2023. He was elected in 2022, defeating Republican Jim Marchant. Early life and education Born ...

(D), the Treasurer is

Zach Conine Zachary Beare Conine (born October 20, 1981) is an American attorney, businessman and politician from the U.S. state of Nevada. He is currently the Nevada State Treasurer. Biography Conine was raised in New York. He graduated from Cornell Unive ...

(D), and the Controller is

Andy Matthews Andrew Thomas Matthews (born 1978) is an American politician serving as the 23rd Controller of Nevada since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a member of the Nevada Assembly representing Nevada's 37th district. Edu ...

(R).

Cabinet

The cabinet advises and assists the governor in the business of state government, civil and military. It is composed of the heads of those state agencies which come under the governor's appointing authority as chief executive, together with such other officials as the governor may from time to time invite. The cabinet currently consists of the following members: * Lieutenant Governor * Director of the Department of Administration * Director of the Department of Agriculture * Director of the Department of Business and Industry (B&I) * Director of the Department of Conservation & Natural Resources * Director of the

Department of Corrections In criminal justice, particularly in North America, correction, corrections, and correctional, are umbrella terms describing a variety of functions typically carried out by government agencies, and involving the punishment, treatment, and s ...

* Director of the Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs * Executive Director of the Office of Economic Development * Superintendent of Public Instruction of the

Department of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

* Director of the Department of Employment, Training & Rehabilitation (DETR) * Director of the Nevada State Office of Energy * Director of the

Department of Health and Human Services The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is ...

(DHHS) * Director of the Nevada Indian Commission * Chief Information Officer of the Division of Enterprise Information Technology Services (EITS) * Director of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) * Adjutant General of the Nevada Military Department and

Nevada National Guard The Nevada National Guard is the component of the United States National Guard in Nevada. The governor of Nevada may call individuals or units of the Nevada National Guard into state service. The Constitution of the United States charges the Nat ...

* Director of the Department of Personnel (DOP) * Director of the Department of Public Safety (DPS) * Chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education * Director of the Department of Transportation (NDOT) * Executive Director of the Department of Veterans Services * Director of the Nevada Department of Wildlife

State agencies

Major state agencies include: *

Nevada Gaming Control Board The Nevada Gaming Control Board, also known as the State Gaming Control Board, is a Nevada state governmental agency involved in the regulation of gaming and law enforcement of Nevada gaming laws throughout the state, along with the Nevada Gaming ...

* Consumer Health Assistance *

Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs The Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) was a governmental agency in the U.S. state of Nevada. The Department of Cultural Affairs headquarters was located in Carson City, Nevada. History The Department of Museums, Library, and Arts was cr ...

* Governor's Office of Economic Development * Nevada Film Office * Department of Employment, Training & Rehabilitation * Department of Health and Human Services * Division of Minerals, Commission on Mineral Resources * Department of Personnel * Advisory Council for Prosecuting Attorneys * Public Employees Benefit Program * Public Employees Retirement System * Public Utilities Commission * Department of Taxation * Commission on Tourism * Universities and Community Colleges of Nevada *

Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE, pronounced 'wit-chee') is a regional interstate agency and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Boulder, Colo., serving 16 member states and territories. WICHE's diverse programs a ...

Legislature

The

is a bicameral body divided into an

and Senate. Members of the Assembly serve for 2 years, and members of the Senate serve for 4 years. Senators and Assemblymen/women are limited to a maximum of 12 years service in each house (by appointment or election which is a lifetime limit)—a provision of the constitution which was upheld by the Supreme Court of Nevada in a unanimous decision. Each session of the Legislature meets for a constitutionally mandated 120 days in every odd-numbered year, or longer if the governor calls a special session. Currently, the Assembly is controlled by the Democratic Party (27 to 15 majority) and the Senate is also controlled by the Democratic Party (11 to 10 majority). On December 18, 2018, Nevada was the first State with a female majority in its legislature. Nine of the 21 seats in the Nevada Senate are currently held by women, along with 23 of the 42 seats in the Assembly.

Judiciary

The

is the

state supreme court In the United States, a state supreme court (known by other names in some states) is the highest court in the state judiciary of a U.S. state. On matters of state law, the judgment of a state supreme court is considered final and binding in b ...

. Original jurisdiction is divided between the District Courts (with general jurisdiction), and Justice Courts and Municipal Courts (both of limited jurisdiction).

Local government

Incorporated town An incorporated town is a town that is a municipal corporation. Canada Incorporated towns are a form of local government in Canada, which is a responsibility of provincial rather than federal government. United Kingdom United States An in ...

s in Nevada, known as cities, are given the authority to legislate anything not prohibited by law. A recent movement has begun to permit

home rule Home rule is government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governance wit ...

in incorporated Nevada cities to give them more flexibility and fewer restrictions from the legislature. Unincorporated towns are settlements eminently governed by the

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in which they are located, but who, by local

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

or by the act of the county commission, can form limited local governments in the form of a Town Advisory Board (TAB)/Citizens Advisory Council (CAC), or a Town Board. Town Advisory Boards and Citizens Advisory Councils are formed purely by act of the county commission. Consisting of three to five members, these elected boards form a purely advisory role, and in no way diminish the responsibilities of the county commission that creates them. Members of advisory councils and boards are elected to two-year terms, and serve without compensation. The councils and boards, themselves, are provided no revenue, and oversee no budget. Town Boards are limited local governments created by either the local county commission, or by referendum. The board consists of five members elected to four-year terms. Half the board is required to be up for election in each election. The board elects from within its ranks a town chairperson and town clerk. While more powerful than Town Advisory Boards and Citizens Advisory Councils, they also serve a largely advisory role, with their funding provided by their local county commission. The local county commission has the power to put before residents of the town a vote on whether to keep or dissolve a town board at any general election. Town boards have the ability to appoint a town manager if they choose to do so.

References

{{Governments of the United States

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...