Wis. Stat. § 15.001 — WI Code / Chapter 15 / Section 15.001
Declaration of policy.
Status: in_force

(1) Three branches of government. The “republican form of government” guaranteed by the U.S. constitution contemplates the separation of powers within state government among the legislative, the executive and the judicial branches of the government. The legislative branch has the broad objective of determining policies and programs and review of program performance for programs previously authorized, the executive branch carries out the programs and policies and the judicial branch has the responsibility for adjudicating any conflicts which might arise from the interpretation or application of the laws. It is a traditional concept of American government that the 3 branches are to function separately, without intermingling of authority, except as specifically provided by law.

(2) Goals of executive branch organization.

(a) As the chief administrative officer of the state, the governor should be provided with the administrative facilities and the authority to carry out the functions of the governor’s office efficiently and effectively within the policy limits established by the legislature.

(b) The administrative agencies which comprise the executive branch should be consolidated into a reasonable number of departments and independent agencies consistent with executive capacity to administer effectively at all levels.

(c) The integration of the agencies in the executive branch should be on a functional basis, so that programs can be coordinated.

(d) Each agency in the executive branch should be assigned a name commensurate with the scope of its program responsibilities, and should be integrated into one of the departments or independent agencies of the executive branch as closely as the conflicting goals of administrative integration and responsiveness to the legislature will permit.

(3) Goals of continuing reorganization. Structural reorganization should be a continuing process through careful executive and legislative appraisal of the placement of proposed new programs and the coordination of existing programs in response to changing emphasis or public needs, and should be consistent with the following goals:

(a) The organization of state government should assure its responsiveness to popular control. It is the goal of reorganization to improve legislative policy-making capability and to improve the administrative capability of the executive to carry out these policies.

(b) The organization of state government should facilitate communication between citizens and government. It is the goal of reorganization through coordination of related programs in function-oriented departments to improve public understanding of government programs and policies and to improve the relationships between citizens and administrative agencies.

(c) The organization of state government shall assure efficient and effective administration of the policies established by the legislature. It is the goal of reorganization to promote efficiency by improving the management and coordination of state services and by eliminating overlapping activities.

History: 1991 a. 316 .