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Pennsylvania has 14 U.S. Census Bureau -designated metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) and four combined statistical areas (CSAs). As of 2020, Philadelphia, the seventh-largest United States metropolitan area, is the state's largest metropolitan area followed by Pittsburgh and Allentown. [1]
The Government of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the governmental structure of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as established by the Pennsylvania Constitution. It is composed of three branches: executive, legislative and judicial. The state capital of Pennsylvania is Harrisburg.
- Overview
- Constitutional framework
- Health and welfare
- Education
Under the constitution of 1968—Pennsylvania’s fourth since becoming a state—and its subsequent amendments, the executive branch consists of the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, auditor general, state treasurer, and governor’s cabinet. The secretary of state and the secretary of education are appointed by the governor, subject to Senate approval.
The governor is elected for a four-year term and may be reelected for one additional term. Among the main powers of the governor are broad veto power over bills passed in the legislature (General Assembly), including a line-item veto for appropriations bills, and the right to return bills to the Assembly for reconsideration. The General Assembly consists of a Senate of 50 members and a House of Representatives of 203 members. Senators are elected for four-year terms and representatives for two-year terms.
A unified judicial system comprises the Supreme Court, Superior Court, Commonwealth Court, county courts, and a system of lower courts. The seven justices of the Supreme Court are elected for 10-year terms; justices of the peace and of the municipal and traffic courts of Philadelphia are elected for 6-year terms.
Under the constitution, the General Assembly provides rules and regulations for local governments. A major responsibility in this regard is to classify all municipalities—such as cities, boroughs, counties, and townships—by population size. All Assembly regulations must be uniform throughout each class, and no community can secure preferential treatment. Philadelphia is the state’s only first-class city and may have special legislation. Pittsburgh and Scranton are classified as second-class cities. The rest of Pennsylvania’s cities are designated as third-class. Smaller cities have various governmental forms, while boroughs have elected councils and mayors with limited powers. A 1968 constitutional amendment permitted municipalities to choose home rule.
Under the constitution of 1968—Pennsylvania’s fourth since becoming a state—and its subsequent amendments, the executive branch consists of the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, auditor general, state treasurer, and governor’s cabinet. The secretary of state and the secretary of education are appointed by the governor, subject to Senate approval.
The governor is elected for a four-year term and may be reelected for one additional term. Among the main powers of the governor are broad veto power over bills passed in the legislature (General Assembly), including a line-item veto for appropriations bills, and the right to return bills to the Assembly for reconsideration. The General Assembly consists of a Senate of 50 members and a House of Representatives of 203 members. Senators are elected for four-year terms and representatives for two-year terms.
A unified judicial system comprises the Supreme Court, Superior Court, Commonwealth Court, county courts, and a system of lower courts. The seven justices of the Supreme Court are elected for 10-year terms; justices of the peace and of the municipal and traffic courts of Philadelphia are elected for 6-year terms.
Under the constitution, the General Assembly provides rules and regulations for local governments. A major responsibility in this regard is to classify all municipalities—such as cities, boroughs, counties, and townships—by population size. All Assembly regulations must be uniform throughout each class, and no community can secure preferential treatment. Philadelphia is the state’s only first-class city and may have special legislation. Pittsburgh and Scranton are classified as second-class cities. The rest of Pennsylvania’s cities are designated as third-class. Smaller cities have various governmental forms, while boroughs have elected councils and mayors with limited powers. A 1968 constitutional amendment permitted municipalities to choose home rule.
The government provides most of the funds for public social services in Pennsylvania. Since the creation of such programs at the time of Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal in the 1930s, social services have expanded greatly.
In the late 20th century the provision of better health service to all people at all ages became a goal at both private and governmental levels. The resulting rapid growth of health services and of the share they took of both personal and state income became of great concern to individual citizens as well as to policy makers. At the turn of the 21st century, health services employed about one-tenth of the workforce, and health care was increasingly available throughout the state. A significant development was that of hospitals specializing in orthopedic and mental care and the treatment of specific problems such as drug and alcohol abuse. Social services provided by the state include child protection, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, geriatric care, and help for victims of domestic violence.
The educational system is administered through public school districts that provide teachers, textbooks, laboratory materials, and physical equipment. Funds are secured from the state and local communities through taxes and bond issues. Private schools are largely supported by tuition. The state department of education establishes statewide standards for teacher certification and curricula and apportions money to the local school districts.
Pennsylvania has more than 100 four-year colleges and universities in addition to numerous two-year colleges. Philadelphia is a major centre of medical education, while Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Mellon University—formed in 1967 by the merger of the Carnegie Institute of Technology (founded in 1900 as the Carnegie Technical School) and the Mellon Institute (1913)—makes that city a centre of science and engineering studies. Pennsylvania State University (or Penn State; 1855), in University Park, is the state land-grant institution; it has many branch campuses throughout the state. Temple University (1884), in Philadelphia, the University of Pittsburgh (1787), and Lincoln University (1854) are also state-supported. There are also more than 50 private colleges and universities in Pennsylvania. Of these the University of Pennsylvania (1740), in Philadelphia, an Ivy League school, is one of the most distinguished. In 1765 it began the first institution for the study of medicine in the state. Today, the university’s Wharton School is recognized for its leadership in business education, and its renowned Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (also known as the Penn Museum) sponsors archaeological expeditions throughout the world.
DVRPC defined the metropolitan area as including five Pennsylvania counties (Philadelphia, Bucks, Delaware, Chester, and Montgomery) and four New Jersey counties (Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Mercer) because these counties shared a transportation network of roads, rails, and airports.
2 days ago · The detailed map shows the US state of Pennsylvania with boundaries, the location of the state capital Harrisburg, major cities and populated places, rivers, and lakes, interstate highways, principal highways, railroads and major airports.
2 days ago · The state has two great metropolitan areas. Philadelphia is a part of the East Coast population belt stretching from Boston to Norfolk, Virginia. It is a major harbour on the Delaware River and one of the world’s busiest shipping centres.
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Apr 1, 1990 · The population development of Great Falls as well as related information and services (Wikipedia, Google, images). Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Explanation: Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas as defined in July 2023 by the OMB Bulletin No. 23-01.
