Overview
Read on for some statistics and insights about the level of civic engagement, political engagement and a “state of the state” overview of Minnesota.
Civic and Political Engagement
According to the Corporation for National and Community Service for 2018:
- 45.1% of residents volunteer, ranking them 2nd among the 50 states and Washington, DC.
- 1,965,924 volunteers
- 137.2 million hours of service
- $43.3 billion worth of service contributed
Looking at political engagement specifically, according to this 2018 Wallethub.com study, Minnesota ranks #14 politically engaged based on a weighted average across the following metrics:
- Percentage of Registered Voters in the 2016 Presidential Election
- Percentage of Electorate Who Actually Voted in the 2014 Midterm Elections
- Percentage of Electorate Who Actually Voted in the 2016 Presidential Election
- Change in Percentage of Electorate Who Actually Voted in the 2016 Elections Compared with the 2012 Elections
- Total Political Contributions per Adult Population
- Civic Education Engagement, CIRCLE
- Voter Accessibility Policies, Ballotpedia
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Center for Responsive Politics, Ballotpediaand Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, CIRCLE.
Women in Minnesota Politics
As of 2018, there are 49 women legislators in the Minnesota House of Representatives, and 16 in the Minnesota State Senate – for a total of 65 out of 201 seats in both chambers. This equals 32.3% of the legislature (Source: NCSL).
See how many women serve in Minnesota’s executive offices here.
Michigan ranks 2nd in women’s equality – based on workplace environment (pay, unemployment and entrepreneurship rate disparity), education environment (education levels and math and reading scores), and political empowerment (disparity in elected offices) (Source: Wallethub).
What Color is Minnesota?
Minnesota has 10 electoral votes. “From 1932 onward, the state has primarily voted Democratic, last voting Republican during Nixon’s landslide victory in 1972.” Minnesota, along with Ohio, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Florida, “are the most evenly balanced states politically, with less than one point separating Democratic and Republican party preferences in those states. These states have been among the most highly contested ‘swing states’ in recent presidential elections.” In 2016, Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump by 1.5%, bringing the Democratic winning streak to 11 straight elections (270towin).
State of the State
State Government Structure
The Minnesota Legislature is the state legislature of Minnesota. It is bicameral, with a lower Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota State Senate. Former Governor Jesse Ventura advocated the idea of changing the legislature to a unicameral system while he was in office, but the concept did not obtain widespread support.
There are 134 members in the Minnesota House of Representatives, twice the number of members in the Minnesota Senate. Each member represents an average of 39,582 residents, as of the 2010 Census. Representatives are elected to two year terms. There are 67 members of the Minnesota Senate. Members are usually elected to four year terms. Each member represents an average of 79,163 residents, as of the 2010 Census.
Since 2015, Minnesota has been under divided government, meaning no one political party holds the governorship and a majority in the state legislature (known as a state trifecta) (Ballotpedia).
In order for a bill to become a law, it must receive a majority of the votes in both houses —68 in the House and 34 in the Senate. Capital Investment bills require a three-fifths majority vote—81 representatives and 41 senators (Minnesota Legislature).
Budget Process
Minnesota operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:
- Budget instruction guidelines are sent to state agencies in May and June of the year preceding the start of the new biennium.
- State agencies submit their budget requests to the governor in October.
- Agency hearings are held from September through December.
- The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature on the fourth Tuesday in January (this deadline is extended to the third Tuesday in February for a newly elected governor).
- The legislature typically adopts a budget in May. A simple majority is required to pass a budget. The biennium begins on July 1 of odd-numbered years.
Minnesota is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.
The governor is legally required to submit a balanced budget proposal. Likewise, the legislature is legally required to adopt a balanced budget (Ballotpedia).
Business Climate
A 2018 CNBC study ranks Minnesota #6 in terms of overall business climate:
Freedom
Minnesota ranks 37th in Cato Institute’s 2018 Freedom in the 50 states. The overall freedom ranking is a combination of personal and economic freedoms.
Additional Resources
- PEW Fiscal 50: State Trends and Analysis
- PEW Women in Leadership – see analysis of women in leadership on a national scale
- National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) Fiscal Survey of States
- Compare 50 – pick what stats you want to compare with what states here
- State Data Lab – compare a variety of factors among states here
- Freedom in the 50 States 2018 – Cato
- Tax Foundation facts and figures app is available for download
What You Can Do
As detailed above, Minnesotans have expansive potential for engaging in civic-minded and fiscally responsible activity. By forming Policy Circles across the state, women can lead the way in ensuring that policies are working and responding to individual needs at the local level.
Here’s what you can do:
- Click “It’s easy, start now” at www.thepolicycircle.org to start a circle in your area.
- Read our “Year of Conversation” for an overview of policy briefs on key issues affecting the country and your state.
- Connect with American Experiment, your state think tanks and best resources for state level information on key policy issues.
- Tell a friend or family member about The Policy Circle by sending them to www.thepolicycircle.org . Any woman who believes in the power of free markets to unleash human creativity can start a Policy Circle in her area.