In 1787, the United States Constitution set up a federal system of government giving some powers to the national government and other powers to the state and local governments. The U.S. Constitution told each state it must set up its own government and write its own constitution. States were required to have governments similar to the federal government, and the people of the state were required to elect representatives.
Illinois became a state in 1818 and had to have its own constitution before it could become a state. The current Illinois Constitution was adopted and ratified in 1970.
The Constitution has a short preamble and fourteen articles. The U.S. Constitution adds amendments at the end in a separate part of the Constitution, but when changes are made to the Illinois Constitution, the amendments are made to the articles--the inside sections.
The Preamble
The Preamble to the Illinois Constitution is an introductory paragraph which explains why it was written. The preamble is shown below; some of the wording is similar to the preamble to the U.S. Constitution.
We, the People of the State of Illinois-grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He has permitted us to enjoy and seeking His blessing upon our endeavors-in order to provide for the health, safety and welfare of the people; maintain a representative and orderly government; eliminate poverty and inequality; assure legal, social and economic justice; provide opportunity for the fullest development of the individual; insure domestic tranquility; provide for the common defense and secure the blessings of freedom and liberty to ourselves and our posterity - do ordain and establish this Constitution for the State of Illinois.
Article I: The Bill of Rights
Article I of the Illinois Constitution states many of the individual rights and liberties found in the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution. For example, Article I guarantees freedom of religion, freedom of speech, the right to assemble and petition, the right to bear arms, freedom from self incrimination, and the right to a trial by jury.
Article I guarantees due process and equal protection which means everyone is entitled to the same basic rights and the same fair procedures under the law.
Article I forbids discrimination on the basis of sex and on the basis of physical or mental handicaps—a statement which is not found in the U.S. Constitution.
One section of Article I is the right of eminent domain. Eminent domain allows the government to purchase private property for public use. For example, if a piece of land is needed to build a highway or a bridge to be used by all the people, the state has the right to buy the land for a fair price even if the owner does not want to sell the land.
Article II: The Powers of the State
Article II of the Illinois Constitution divides the state government into 3 branches: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial. These branches or divisions are the same as the federal government.
Article III: Suffrage and Elections
Article 3 sets up voting qualifications and election laws. To vote a person must be a U.S. citizen, 18 years old, and a resident of Illinois for at least 30 days prior to the election. People must register to vote in the county they live.
Article IV: The Legislative Department
The Illinois State Capital in Springfield
Article 4 provides rules for the legislative branch of Illinois government, known as the General Assembly. Similar to the U.S. Congress, the General Assembly is divided into 2 houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Illinois is divided into 59 legislative districts. Each legislative district is divided into 2 representative districts. Every ten years, the General Assembly must redistrict, or again divide the state into districts based on new census information. Districts must be “compact, contiguous, and substantially equal in population,” which means a districts can’t be divided into several parts and all districts must have approximately the same number of people.
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Attorney General
Secretary of State
Comptroller
Treasurer
To run for one of these offices a person must be a U.S. citizen, at least 25 years old, and a resident of Illinois for 3 years.
The Executive Mansion in downtown Springfield
is the official residence of the Governor.
The Governor is the chief executive officer of Illinois, just as the President is the chief executive officer of the United states. One main duty of the governor is to see that laws passed by the General Assembly are carried out.