In the
United States, a
governor serves as the chief executive officer in each of the fifty
states and in the five permanently inhabited
territories, functioning as both
head of state and
head of government therein. As such,
governors are responsible for implementing state laws and overseeing the operation of the state
executive branch. As state leaders, governors advance and pursue new and revised policies and programs using a variety of tools, among them executive orders, executive budgets, and legislative proposals and vetoes. Governors carry out their management and leadership responsibilities and objectives with the support and assistance of department and agency heads, many of whom they are empowered to appoint. A majority of governors have the authority to appoint state court judges as well, in most cases from a list of names submitted by a nominations committee.