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The Frame of Government of Pennsylvania was a proto-constitution for the Province of Pennsylvania, a proprietary colony granted to William Penn by Charles II of England. The Frame of Government has lasting historical importance as an important step in the development of American and world democracy .
In Pennsylvania the term for all elected members of the executive branch is four years, with a maximum of two terms. All members of the executive branch are not on the ballot in the same year: elections for governor and lieutenant governor are held in even years when there is not a presidential election, while the other three statewide offices are elected in presidential election years.
Pennsylvania was historically referred to by the nickname Quaker State during the colonial era [227] based on the influential role that William Penn and other Quakers played in establishing the first frame of government constitution for the Province of Pennsylvania that guaranteed liberty of conscience, which was a reflection of Penn's ...
Pennsylvania's innovative and highly democratic government structure, featuring a unicameral legislature and collective executive, [2] may have influenced the later French Republic's formation under the French Constitution of 1793. The constitution also included a declaration of rights that coincided with the Virginia Declaration of Rights of ...
Pennsylvania has had five constitutions during its statehood: [4] 1776, 1790, 1838, 1874, and 1968. Prior to that, the colonial Province of Pennsylvania was governed for a century by a book titled Frame of Government, written by William Penn, of which there were four versions: 1682, 1683, 1696, and 1701. [5]
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg . In colonial times (1682–1776), the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly and was unicameral .
From the Frame of Government of Pennsylvania of 1683, the provincial council consisted of 18 to 72 members from the province's counties. The council had the power to dismiss the General Assembly, rule in the absence of the Governor or Lieutenant Governor, create courts, and make judicial appointments. [1]
The General Assembly, also known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly, was the largest and most representative branch of government but had limited powers. Succeeding frames of government were produced in 1683, 1696, and 1701. The fourth frame, also known as the Charter of Privileges, remained in effect until the American Revolution.