Reflection Paper
Elizabeth Conditt
Helms School of Government, Liberty University
GOVT 327 State and Local Government
Professor Heather Piedmont
December 13, 2021
The Structure of State Legislatures and Roles They Have in State Government
A State Legislature is made up of a Senate and or an assembly. State Legislatures are
responsible for engaging “in three principal functions: policymaking, representation, and
oversight” (Bowman & Kearney, 2018, 137). Locke believed that the legislative branch of
government held the most power and was crucial to the health a body politic (Locke, 1994). The
American people elect their state officials to represent them and their interests for their home
state. While it is crucial that Christians be mindful about who they elect for office, they need to
also keep in mind that they must obey the laws put in place and do the work it takes to keep the
government functioning smoothly. Scripture says in Titus 3:1-2 “Remind them to be subject to
rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be
peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men” (New King James Bible, 1982/2021, Titus
3:1-2).
The Reapportionment Process
Bowman and Kearney state that reapportionment allowed for districts to “reflect
population equality: one person, one vote” (Bowman & Kearney, 2018, p. 140). The
reapportionment process reallocates the number of legislators for a district considering the
population. This process is extremely complex and more often than not, highly controversial.
Locke believed that every citizen should be represented in government (Locke, 1994). A form of
the reapportionment process is Biblical. In the days of Solomon, there were twelve districts that
each had a governor. 1 Kings 4:7 says that “And Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel,
who provided food for the king and his household; each one made provision for one month of the
year” (New King James Bible, 1982/2021, 1Kings 4:7). This implies that the reapportionment
process is supported Biblically because there were governors for each district over Israel in an
effort for each district to be equally represented.
The Structures of State Court Systems, Their Selections, and Decision Making
States “have a two-tiered court structure: trial courts and appellate courts” (Bowman &
Kearney, 2018, p. 229). Bowman and Kearney state that “The organization of the state courts is
important because it affects the quality and pace of judicial decisions and the access of
individuals and groups to the legal system” (Bowman & Kearney, 2018, p. 226). There are
various methods used to decide how state judges are selected. However, “judges should be
chosen on the basis of solid professional and personal qualifications, regardless of their political
views and party identification” (Bowman & Kearney, 2018, p. 233). Locke believed that a
judicial system was a crucial part of society (Locke, 1994). He believed that proper judicial
systems were essential to support a growing and resilient society (Locke, 1994). Biblically
speaking, there are various examples and teachings that acknowledge the necessity of justice in
society along with adequate accountability for unjust actions.
The Concept of Judicial Federalism
Judicial federalism describes the separation of powers between the state and the federal
governments. In other words, “state courts look first to state constitutional and statutory laws in
rendering legal judgements on important state and local issues rather than to the federal courts”
(Bowman & Kearney, 2018, p. 247). This concept allows for state courts to protect their powers.
This concept relates and shares to Locke’s beliefs about equality, power, and representation. The
Bible has many teachings on the importance of fair judgement and accountability when it comes
to delinquencies. This shows along with everything previously discussed, the presence of
Biblical authority in America’s federal system.
References
Bowman, A. & Kearney, R. (2018). State and Local Government. 10th ed. Cengage Learning.
https://ebooks.cenreader.com/#!/reader/58ee96e0-c357-4d8f-8d15-
d22ad7449391/page/91d74226e220c70dd1403c4b4dd1a68a
Locke, J. (1994). Second treatise of government. Generic NL Freebook Publisher.
New King James Bible. (2021). Bible Gateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/ (Original work
published 1982)
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