The state government of Virginia, as defined in its constitution, has the same basic structure as the United States government. In each system there are three separate but equal branches. These are the legislative branch (which makes the laws), the executive branch (which enforces the laws), and the judicial branch (which interprets the laws). Voters approved the 1971 Constitution of Virginia on November 3, 1970, and became effective on July 1, 1971. It is the fifth constitution since 1776, with others effective in 1830, 1851, 1870, and 1902.
Are you interested in an in-depth comparison of the U.S. Constitution to the 1971 Constitution of Virginia? Then click here.
| Did You Know? The Constitution of Virginia has been in existence longer than the U.S. Constitution. The Commonwealth of Virginia created its first constitution in 1776, and since that time there have been five major revisions. The constitution that is in existence today was approved in 1970 and became effective in 1971. As of 2012, the most recent Constitution of Virginia has been amended 46 times and has in excess of 21,000 words. Compare that to the U.S. Constitution, which has 27 formal amendments and around 7,400 words. It is interesting to note how deliberately detailed state constitutions are compared to the U.S. Constitution. |