State Constitution ( United States ) - wikipedia State Constitution ( United States ) In the United States, each state has its own constitution. Usually, they are much longer than the United States Constitution, which only contains 4,543 words. State constitutions are usually longer than 8,500 - words because they are more detailed regarding the day - to - day relationships between government and the people. The shortest is the Constitution of Vermont, adopted in 1793 and currently 8,295 words long. The longest is Alabama 's sixth and current constitution, ratified in 1901, about 345,000 words long. Both the federal and state constitutions are organic texts : they are the fundamental blueprints for the legal and political organizations of the United States and the states, respectively. The Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, part of the Bill of Rights, provides that `` The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. '' The Guarantee Clause of Article 4 of the Constitution states that `` The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government. '' These two provisions indicate states did not surrender their wide latitude to adopt a constitution, the fundamental documents of state law, when the U.S. Constitution was adopted. Typically state constitutions address a wide array of issues deemed by the states to be of sufficient importance to be included in the constitution rather than in an ordinary statute. Often modeled after the federal Constitution, they outline the structure of the state government and typically establish a bill of rights, an executive branch headed by a governor ( and often one or more other officials, such as a lieutenant governor and state attorney general ), a state legislature, and state courts, including a state supreme court ( a few states have two high courts, one for civil cases, the other for criminal cases ). They also provide general governmental framework for what each branch is supposed to do and how it should go about doing it. Additionally, many other provisions may be included. Many state constitutions, unlike the federal constitution, also begin with an invocation of God. Some states allow amendments to the constitution by initiative. Many states have had several constitutions over the course of their history. The territories of the United States are `` organized '' and, thus, self - governing if the United States Congress has passed an Organic Act. Only two of the 14 territories -- Guam and the United States Virgin Islands -- are organized. One unorganized territory, American Samoa, has its own constitution. The remaining 13 unorganized territories have no permanent populations and are either under direct control of the U.S. Government or operate as military bases. The commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands ( CNMI ) do not have organic acts but operate under local constitutions. Pursuant to the acquisition of Puerto Rico under the Treaty of Paris, 1898, the relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States is controlled by Article IV of the United States Constitution. Constitutional law in the CNMI is based upon a series of constitutional documents, the most important of which are the 1976 Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in political union with the United States of America, which controls the relationship between the CNMI and the United States ; and the local commonwealth constitution, drafted in 1976, ratified by the people of the CNMI in March 1977, accepted by the United States Government in October 1977, and effective from 9 January 1978. Contents 1 List of constitutions 1.1 Federal constitution 2 State constitutions 2.1 Federal district charter 2.2 Commonwealth and Territorial constitutions 2.3 Organic acts 3 See also 4 References 5 Bibliography 6 External links List of constitutions The following is a list of the current constitutions of the United States of America and its constituent political divisions. Each entry shows the original number of the current constitution, the official name of the current constitution, and the date on which the current constitution took effect. Federal constitution No. Official name Date of effect Notes 1st Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union March 1, 1781 2nd Constitution of the United States of America March 4, 1789 State constitutions Note that constitutions of states that were independent countries prior to admission, and constitutions used by rebelling states participating in the American Civil War are not counted. No. Official name Date of effect Notes 6th Constitution of the State of Alabama November 28, 1901 1st Constitution of the State of Alaska January 3, 1959 1st Constitution of the State of Arizona February 14, 1912 4th Constitution of the State of Arkansas October 13, 1874 2nd Constitution of the State of California January 1, 1880 1st Constitution of the State of Colorado August 1, 1876 2nd Constitution of the State of Connecticut December 30, 1965 4th Constitution of the State of Delaware June 10, 1897 5th Constitution of the State of Florida January 7, 1969 9th Constitution of the State of Georgia July 1, 1983 1st Constitution of the State of Hawaiʻi August 21, 1959 1st Constitution of the State of Idaho July 3, 1890 4th Constitution of the State of Illinois July 1, 1971 2nd Constitution of the State of Indiana November 1, 1851 2nd Constitution of the State of Iowa August 3, 1857 1st Constitution of the State of Kansas January 29, 1861 4th Constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky August 3, 1891 9th Constitution of the State of Louisiana January 1, 1975 1st Constitution of the State of Maine March 3, 1820 4th Constitution of the State of Maryland October 5, 1867 1st Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts October 25, 1780 4th Constitution of the State of Michigan January 1, 1964 1st Constitution of the State of Minnesota May 11, 1858 4th Constitution of the State of Mississippi November 1, 1890 4th Constitution of the State of Missouri March 30, 1945 2nd Constitution of the State of Montana July 1, 1973 2nd Constitution of the State of Nebraska November 1, 1875 1st Constitution of the State of Nevada October 31, 1864 3rd Constitution of the State of New Hampshire June 2, 1784 3rd Constitution of the State of New Jersey January 1, 1948 1st Constitution of the State of New Mexico January 6, 1912 4th Constitution of the State of New York January 1, 1895 4th Constitution of the State of North Carolina July 1, 1971 1st Constitution of the State of North Dakota November 2, 1889 2nd Constitution of the State of Ohio September 1, 1851 1st Constitution of the State of Oklahoma November 16, 1907 1st Constitution of the State of Oregon February 14, 1859 4th Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania January 1, 1874 2nd Constitution of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations May 2, 1843 6th Constitution of the State of South Carolina January 1, 1896 1st Constitution of the State of South Dakota November 2, 1889 3rd Constitution of the State of Tennessee March 26, 1870 4th Constitution of the State of Texas February 17, 1876 1st Constitution of the State of Utah January 4, 1896 1st Constitution of the State of Vermont July 9, 1793 7th Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia July 1, 1971 1st Constitution of the State of Washington November 11, 1889 2nd Constitution of the State of West Virginia August 22, 1872 1st Constitution of the State of Wisconsin May 29, 1848 1st Constitution of the State of Wyoming July 10, 1890 Federal District charter No. Official name Date of effect Notes 1st Charter of the District of Columbia December 24, 1973 The District of Columbia ( Washington City in the District of Columbia ) has a charter similar to charters of major cities, instead of having a constitution like the states and territories. The District of Columbia Home Rule Act establishes the Council of the District of Columbia, which governs the entire district and has certain devolved powers similar to those of major cities. Congress has full authority over the district and may amend the charter and any legislation enacted by the Council. Attempts at statehood for the District of Columbia have included the drafting of two constitutions in 1982 and 1987, both referring to the district as the `` State of New Columbia ''. Commonwealth and territorial constitutions The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, July 25, 1952. It was ratified by Puerto Rico 's electorate in a referendum on March 3, 1952, approved by the United States Congress. The Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands was drafted by thirty - nine elected delegates meeting in a constitutional convention on Saipan in 1976. Their proposed constitution was subsequently ratified by Northern Mariana Islands voters on March 6, 1977, and became effective January 9, 1978. Pursuant to the provisions of Section 202 of the Covenant, the Constitution of the Northern Mariana Islands was deemed to have been approved by the Government of the United States six months after the date of submission to the president. The six - month period having expired on October 22, 1977, President Carter issued a proclamation announcing the Constitution of the Northern Mariana Islands was deemed approved. The Constitution of the Territory of American Samoa was signed by 68 members of the 1960 constitutional convention and was approved by United States Secretary of the Interior Fred Andrew Seaton on 27 April 1960. It became effective 17 October 1960. Several amendments to the Constitution were approved in a referendum in the general elections in 1966, subsequently by Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall on 2 June 1967, and became effective 1 July 1967. Organic acts The Territory of Guam does not have its own constitution, but operates under the Guam Organic Act of 1950 and other federal statutes. The United States Virgin Islands, an unincorporated organized territory, does not have its own constitution, instead operating under various federal statutes. See politics of the United States Virgin Islands. See also State Constitution Gubernatorial Qualifications in the United States State constitution ( Australia ) References Jump up ^ `` Covenant ''. June 17, 1975. Jump up ^ `` Proclamations ''. January 9, 1978. Jump up ^ Despite its very different title, the United States Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, adopted on November 15, 1777, and ratified on March 1, 1781, was actually the first constitution of the United States of America. See Christian G. Fritz, American Sovereigns : The People and America 's Constitutional Tradition Before the Civil War ( Cambridge University Press, 2008 ) at p. 131 ISBN 978 - 0 - 521 - 88188 - 3 ( noting that `` Madison, along with other Americans clearly understood '' the Articles of Confederation `` to be the first federal Constitution. '' ) Jump up ^ Excludes the constitutions of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi and the Republic of Hawaiʻi. Jump up ^ The Wyandotte Constitution supplanted the rejected Topeka Constitution, Lecompton Constitution, and Leavenworth Constitution. Jump up ^ Excludes the 1876 recodification of the Constitution of the State of Maine. Jump up ^ The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is currently the world 's oldest written constitution that is still in effect. Jump up ^ The first Constitution of the State of New Hampshire, adopted on January 5, 1776, was the first written constitution for an independent state in the New World and set the stage for the United States Declaration of Independence the following summer. Jump up ^ Excludes the 1938 recodification of the Constitution of the State of New York. Jump up ^ Excludes the 1968 recodification of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Jump up ^ Excludes the constitution of the Republic of Texas. Jump up ^ Excludes the two constitutions of the Vermont Republic. Jump up ^ http://dccode.westgroup.com/toc/default.wl?oFindType=V&oDocName=DC&oDB=DC%2DST%2DWEB%3BSTADC&DocName=DC010463193&FindType=X&DB=DC-TOC-WEB%3BSTADCTOC&RS=WLW2%2E07&VR=2%2E0 Jump up ^ http://dccode.westgroup.com/Find/Default.wl?DocName=DCHINEWCOLUMBIACONSTITUTIONENACTED1987&FindType=W&DB=DC-TOC-WEB%3BSTADCTOC&RS=WLW2%2E07&VR=2%2E0 Jump up ^ `` Proclamations ''. October 24, 1977. Jump up ^ `` American Samoa Constitution ''. October 17, 1960. Bibliography Bryce, James, viscount. The American Commonwealth ( 2nd ed., rev. ; London : Macmillan and Co., 1891 ), vol. 1, p. ( 413 ) - 445, ( 683 ) - 724, et passim. Hammons, Christopher W. ( 1999 ). Was James Madison wrong ? Rethinking the American preference for short, framework - oriented constitutions. American Political Science Review. Dec. 1999. The appendices to this article contain substantial data on state constitutions. External links Find more aboutconstitutionat Wikipedia 's sister projects Definitions from Wiktionary Media from Wikimedia Commons News from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks Learning resources from Wikiversity The Green Papers : Constitutions of the states The Green Papers : State constitutions, an explanation The Green Papers : Links to state constitutions Citings of Religious Influence in First State Constitutions State constitution ( United States ) States Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Federal district Washington, D.C. Insular areas American Samoa Guam Northern Mariana Islands Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands United States state - related lists List of states and territories of the United States Demographics Educational attainment Irreligion Largest cities by population Most popular given names Most populous counties Populated places Population Density Growth rate Birth and death rates Historical African American Amish Asian Pacific Islander Hispanic and Latino Spanish - speaking Religiosity Economy Billionaires Budgets Companies Federal tax revenue Federal taxation and spending Gross domestic product Growth rate Per capita Income Inequality Minimum wages Poverty rates Sales taxes Sovereign wealth funds State income taxes Unemployment rates Union affiliation Vehicles per capita Environment Carbon dioxide emissions Botanical gardens Parks Nature centers Renewable energy Superfund sites Wilderness areas Geography Area Bays Beaches Coastline Elevation Extreme points Forest Geographic centers Mountains Regions Volcanoes Government Attorneys general Capitals Capitol buildings Comparison Counties Alphabetical List Current State Legislators Governors Lieutenant governors Legislatures Libraries and archives Official languages Poets laureate Political divisions State auditors State secretaries of state State superintendents of education State supreme courts State treasurers Health American Human Development Index Fertility rates Hospitals Life expectancy Obesity rates History Date of statehood Name etymologies Historical societies Museums National Historic Landmarks National Register of Historic Places State partitions Historic regions Law Abortion Age of consent Alcohol Dry communities Alford plea Cell phone use while driving Constitutions Firearms Homicide Law enforcement agencies Legality of cannabis Peace Index Prisons Incarceration rate Same - sex unions Former constitutional bans Marriage law Seat belt laws Self - representation Smoking bans Speed limits ( by jurisdiction ) Statutory codes Miscellaneous Abbreviations Casinos Demonyms Fictional states Flags Hotels Insignia License plates Malls Numbered highways Quarters 50 states DC & Territories ATB Symbols Tallest buildings Time zones Commons Portals Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=State_constitution_(United_States)&oldid=862007662 '' Categories : State constitutions of the United States State government in the United States Constitutions of country subdivisions Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from April 2010 Use mdy dates from July 2012 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from November 2015 Articles with hCards Talk Contents About Wikipedia Bân - lâm - gú فارسی Français 日本 語 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 1 October 2018, at 15 : 37 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: the longest of the state constitutions in total words is the state of
Answer: Alabama's