<em><u>Mandamus</u></em><em><u> </u></em><em><u>:</u></em><em><u>a writ issued by a superior court commanding the performance of a specified official act or duty</u></em>
All State governments are modeled after the Federal Government and consist of three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The U.S. Constitution mandates that all States uphold a “republican form” of government, although the three-branch structure is not required.