Editing North Dakota (section)

==Law and government==
<!-- "Government of North Dakota" redirects here. -->
As with the federal government of the United States, political power in North Dakota state government is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.<ref>{{cite web|title=State Government|url=http://www.nd.gov/category.htm?id=82|publisher=State of North Dakota|access-date=October 6, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320113652/http://www.nd.gov/category.htm?id=82|archive-date=March 20, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The [[Constitution of North Dakota]] and the [[North Dakota Century Code]] form the formal law of the state; the ''North Dakota Administrative Code'' incorporates additional rules and policies of state agencies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legis.nd.gov/agency-rules/north-dakota-administrative-code|title=North Dakota Administrative Code &#124; North Dakota Legislative Branch|publisher=Legis.nd.gov|date=July 1, 1978|access-date=April 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140409164717/http://www.legis.nd.gov/agency-rules/north-dakota-administrative-code|archive-date=April 9, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

In a 2020 study, North Dakota was ranked as the 8th easiest state for citizens to vote in.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=J. Pomante II |first1=Michael |last2=Li |first2=Quan |title=Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020 |journal=Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy |date=December 15, 2020 |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=503–509 |doi=10.1089/elj.2020.0666 |s2cid=225139517 |doi-access=free |issn = 1533-1296 }}</ref>

===Executive===
[[File:State offices in Bismarck North Dakota.jpg|thumb|right|Building in Bismarck that houses a variety of state agencies: Workforce Safety & Insurance; Retirement & Investment; Parks & Recreation; PERS; Child Support; Commerce; and OBM Risk Management.]]
{{See also|List of Governors of North Dakota|List of Lieutenant Governors of North Dakota|List of Secretaries of State of North Dakota|List of Attorneys General of North Dakota}}

The executive branch is headed by the elected [[Governor of North Dakota|governor]]. The current governor is [[Kelly Armstrong]],<ref name="northdakotamonitor.com">{{cite web |url=https://northdakotamonitor.com/briefs/kelly-armstrong-takes-office-as-north-dakotas-34th-governor/ |title=Kelly Armstrong takes office as North Dakota's 34th governor |work=North Dakota Monitor |date=December 15, 2024 |access-date=January 22, 2025}}</ref> a [[North Dakota Republican Party|Republican]] who took office December 15, 2024, after his predecessor, [[Doug Burgum]] did not seek reelection and was subsequently nominated to be [[United States Secretary of the Interior]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/11/14/g-s1-34190/trump-interior-department-doug-burgum-north-dakota-governor |title=Trump picks North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to lead the Interior Department |work=NPR |last1=Siegler |first1=Kirk |last2=Han |first2=Jeongyoon |date=November 14, 2024 |access-date=January 22, 2025}}</ref> The current [[Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota]] is [[Michelle Strinden]],<ref name="northdakotamonitor.com"/> who is also the [[President of the Senate]]. The offices of governor and lieutenant governor have four-year terms, which are next up for election in 2028. The governor has a cabinet consisting of appointed leaders of various state government agencies, called commissioners. The other elected constitutional offices are [[North Dakota Secretary of State|secretary of state]], [[North Dakota Attorney General|attorney general]], [[North Dakota State Auditor|state auditor]], [[North Dakota Insurance Commissioner|state insurance commissioner]] and [[North Dakota State Treasurer|state treasurer]].

===Legislative===
The [[North Dakota Legislative Assembly]] is a [[bicameral]] body consisting of the [[North Dakota Senate|Senate]] and the [[North Dakota House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]. The state has 47 districts, each with one senator and two representatives. Both senators and representatives are elected to four-year terms. The state's legal code is named the [[North Dakota Century Code]].

===Judicial===
North Dakota's court system has four levels, one of which is dormant. Municipal courts serve the cities. Decisions from municipal courts are generally appealable to district court. Most cases start in the [[Courts of North Dakota|district courts]], which are courts of general jurisdiction. There are 42 district court judges in seven judicial districts.<ref>{{cite web | title = District Courts | publisher = North Dakota Supreme Court | url = http://www.ndcourts.com/court/districts/districts.htm | access-date = October 6, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101020151134/http://www.ndcourts.com/court/districts/Districts.htm | archive-date = October 20, 2010 | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = All District Judges | publisher = North Dakota Supreme Court | url = http://www.ndcourts.com/court/districts/judges.htm | access-date = October 6, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100918051643/http://www.ndcourts.com/court/districts/judges.htm | archive-date = September 18, 2010 | url-status = dead }}</ref> Appeals from final district court decisions are made to the [[North Dakota Supreme Court]]. An intermediate court of appeals was provided for by statute in 1987, but the North Dakota Court of Appeals has only heard 65 cases since its inception. The North Dakota Court of Appeals is essentially dormant, but capable of meeting if the North Dakota Supreme Court's case load necessitates the reestablishment of intermediate review.<ref>{{cite web | title = North Dakota Judicial System | publisher = North Dakota Supreme Court | url = http://www.ndcourts.com/court/brochure.htm | access-date = October 6, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100420082018/http://www.ndcourts.com/court/Brochure.htm | archive-date = April 20, 2010 | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=VandeWalle|first=Gerald|date=September 8, 2013|title=North Dakota Destinctives|url=http://www.albanylawreview.org/Articles/Vol76_4/76.4.2019%20VandeWalle.pdf|journal=Albany Law Review|volume=76|issue=4|pages=2023|access-date=September 6, 2021|archive-date=May 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516204038/https://www.albanylawreview.org/Articles/Vol76_4/76.4.2019%20VandeWalle.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Indian tribes and reservations===
[[File:Standing Rock Administrative Service (14235787848).jpg|thumb|right|Administrative building for the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation]]

Historically, North Dakota was populated by the [[Mandan]], [[Hidatsa people|Hidatsa]], [[Lakota people|Lakota]], and [[Ojibwe]], and later by the [[Arikara people|Sanish]] and [[Métis people (United States)|Métis]]. Today, five federally recognized tribes within the boundaries of North Dakota have independent, sovereign relationships with the federal government and territorial reservations:

*[[Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation]], [[Fort Berthold Reservation]];
*[[Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate]], [[Lake Traverse Indian Reservation]];
*[[Standing Rock Sioux]], [[Standing Rock Sioux Reservation]];
*[[Spirit Lake Tribe]], [[Spirit Lake Tribe|Spirit Lake Reservation]]; and
*[[Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians]], [[Turtle Mountain Reservation]].

===Federal===
{{See also|List of United States Senators from North Dakota|List of Presidential visits to North Dakota}}

North Dakota's [[United States Senators]] are [[John Hoeven]] ([[North Dakota Republican Party|R]]) and [[Kevin Cramer]] (R). The state has one [[at-large]] [[North Dakota's at-large congressional district|congressional district]] represented by [[United States House of Representatives|Representative]] [[Julie Fedorchak]] ([[North Dakota Republican Party|R]]).

Federal court cases are heard in the [[United States District Court for the District of North Dakota]], which holds court in [[Bismarck, North Dakota|Bismarck]], [[Fargo, North Dakota|Fargo]], [[Grand Forks, North Dakota|Grand Forks]], and [[Minot, North Dakota|Minot]]. Appeals are heard by the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit|Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals]] based in [[St. Louis, Missouri]].

===Politics===
{{Main|Politics of North Dakota}}
{{See also|Political party strength in North Dakota|List of political parties in North Dakota}}[[MIT]]'s Election Performance Index ranked North Dakota #1 in overall election administration policy and performance in the 2018, 2014, 2012, 2010, and 2008 elections.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Elections Performance Index|url=https://elections.mit.edu/#/data/map?view=state-profile&state=ND&year=2018|url-status=live|website=[[MIT]]|access-date=September 6, 2021|archive-date=September 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210907150541/https://elections.mit.edu/#/data/map?view=state-profile&state=ND&year=2018}}</ref> [[File:United States presidential election in North Dakota, 2016.svg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|[[Treemap]] of the popular vote by county, 2016 presidential election]]

The major political parties in North Dakota are the [[North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party|Democratic-NPL]] and the [[North Dakota Republican Party|Republican Party]]. {{As of|2007}}, the [[Constitution Party (United States)|Constitution Party]] and the [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian Party]] are also organized parties in the state.

At the state level, the [[Governor of North Dakota|governorship]] has been held by the Republican Party since 1992, along with a majority of the state legislature and statewide officers. Dem-NPL showings were strong in the 2000 governor's race, and in the 2006 legislative elections, but the League has not had a major breakthrough since the administration of former state governor [[George Sinner]].

The Republican Party presidential candidate usually carries the state by a considerable margin; in [[2020 United States presidential election in North Dakota|2020]], [[Donald Trump]] won over 65% of the vote. Of all the Democratic presidential candidates since 1892, only [[Grover Cleveland]] (1892, one of three votes), [[Woodrow Wilson]] (1912 and 1916), [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] (1932 and 1936), and [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] (1964) received [[Electoral College (United States)|Electoral College]] votes from North Dakota.

On the other hand, Dem-NPL candidates for North Dakota's federal Senate and House seats won every election between 1982 and 2008, and the state's federal delegation was entirely Democratic from 1987 to 2011. However, both of the current U.S. senators, [[John Hoeven]] and [[Kevin Cramer]], are Republicans, as is the sole House member, [[Julie Fedorchak]].

A [[Heartbeat bill|six-week abortion ban is active]] in North Dakota. Despite this, a [[Plurality voting|simple majority]] of the state's citizens oppose the legislation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carvell |first=Tasha |title=Abortion ban opposed by majority of likely North Dakota voters, new poll finds |url=https://kfgo.com/2023/11/14/928213/ |access-date=2023-11-28 |website=The Mighty 790 KFGO {{!}} KFGO |language=en}}</ref>

===State taxes===
North Dakota has a slightly [[progressive tax|progressive income tax]] structure; the five brackets of state [[income tax]] rates are 1.1%, 2.04%, 2.27%, 2.64%, and 2.90% as of 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title=2017 Tax Tables for Form ND-1|publisher=Office of State Tax Commissioner, North Dakota|url=https://www.nd.gov/tax/data/upfiles/media/form-nd-1-tax-tables-and-tax-rate-schedules.pdf|access-date=July 26, 2018|archive-date=February 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220151001/https://www.nd.gov/tax/data/upfiles/media/form-nd-1-tax-tables-and-tax-rate-schedules.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2005 North Dakota ranked 22nd highest by per capita state taxes.<ref>{{cite web | title = States Ranked by Total State Taxes and Per Capita Amount: 2005 | publisher = U.S. Census Bureau | access-date = October 4, 2007 | url = https://www.census.gov/govs/statetax/05staxrank.html | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070409064417/http://www.census.gov/govs/statetax/05staxrank.html | archive-date = April 9, 2007 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> The [[sales tax]] in North Dakota is 6% for most items.<ref name="sales tax">{{cite web | title = Sales and Use | publisher = Office of State Tax Commissioner, Tax Department, North Dakota | url = http://www.nd.gov/tax/salesanduse/ | access-date = October 4, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070622001435/http://www.nd.gov/tax/salesanduse/ | archive-date = June 22, 2007 | url-status = live }}</ref> The state allows municipalities to institute local sales taxes and special local taxes, such as the 1.75% supplemental sales tax in Grand Forks.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-Midwest/Grand-Forks-Economy.html |publisher= City-Data.com |title= Grand Forks: Economy—Major Industries and Commercial Activity |access-date= October 4, 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071013172732/http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-Midwest/Grand-Forks-Economy.html |archive-date= October 13, 2007 |url-status= live }}</ref> [[Excise|Excise taxes]] are levied on the purchase price or market value of aircraft registered in North Dakota. The state imposes a [[use tax]] on items purchased elsewhere but used within North Dakota. Owners of [[real property]] in North Dakota pay [[property tax]] to their county, municipality, school district, and special taxing districts.<ref>{{cite web | title = Property | publisher = Office of State Tax Commissioner, Tax Department, North Dakota | url = http://www.nd.gov/tax/property/ | access-date = October 4, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070622001141/http://www.nd.gov/tax/property/ | archive-date = June 22, 2007 | url-status = live }}</ref>

The [[Tax Foundation]] ranks North Dakota as the state with the 20th most "business friendly" tax climate in the nation.<ref name="taxfound">{{cite web |url=http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/topic/48.html |title=Tax Research Areas > North Dakota |publisher=The Tax Foundation |access-date=December 14, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103121942/http://taxfoundation.org/research/topic/48.html |archive-date=November 3, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Tax Freedom Day]] arrives on April 1, 10&nbsp;days earlier than the national Tax Freedom Day.<ref name="taxfound" /> In 2006, North Dakota was the state with the lowest number of returns filed by taxpayers with an [[adjusted gross income]] of over $1M—only 333.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.irs.gov/taxstats/article/0,,id=102886,00.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120809061702/https://www.irs.gov/taxstats/article/0%2C%2Cid%3D102886%2C00.html|url-status=dead|title=IRS—Tax Stats at a Glance|archivedate=August 9, 2012}}</ref>