Professor Stadeter, in an essay entitled, “What Made Pericles a Leader?” made the observation that: “Despite the many good men and women in politics, in business and the professions, we know that our times, our problems, our dreams need more and better leaders.”
Describe the formal and informal powers of the governor in the fifty states and how those powers may be used in leading the executive branch of state government.
In assessing our contemporary executive leaders in state government, what are some of the differences between “strong” and “weak” governors?
Finally, what are some of the ways that the legislative and judicial branches of government can “check and balance” the powers of the governor?
Chapter 9 of the course text concludes with the following passage:
State and local courts play a profound role in state government.  They resolve civil disputes and hand out justice in criminal cases.  They are also one of three coequal branches of the state government and frequently find themselves in power struggles with the other branches.  This conflict is perhaps inevitable, as one of the courts’ most important roles is to protect citizens from unconstitutional behavior by the political branches of government.  Despite the importance of this role, or perhaps because of it, judicial systems differ tremendously from state to state.
State appellate courts have become increasingly active in the past decade displaying a wide range of political ideological perspectives in making rulings based upon state constitutional provisions.  This has prompted some state legislatures to consider changes, or to change, the method of selecting judges in their respective jurisdictions or to modify the decisions of the state courts.
Your answer should describe the various methods of selection of judges in the fifty states.  In addition, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of appointed judges versus elected judges and further discuss what changes mean for the perception of impartiality and fairness in judicial decision-making.
In developing your answer, you should review Chapter 9 in the course textbook and the posted Learning Materials that appear in the Module for Week 7.