The State of New Hampshire has a republican form of government modeled after the Government of the United States, with three branches: the executive, consisting of the Governor of New Hampshire and the other elected constitutional officers; the legislative, called the New Hampshire General Court, which includes the Senate and the House of Representatives; and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court of New Hampshire and lower courts.
The New Hampshire state capital is Concord. The capital was Portsmouth during colonial times, and Exeter from 1775 to 1808. The Governor's office, some other executive offices, and both legislative chambers are in the State House. The Legislative Office Building is behind the State House in this photograph; the state Supreme Court and other agencies are in an office park on the other (east) side of the Merrimack River.
Federal representatives
Like all states, New Hampshire has two senators in the US Senate. Based on U.S. census data, New Hampshire has two members of the House of Representatives.
Congressional districts
The 1st congressional district consists of the Carroll and Strafford counties: Alton, Barnstead, Belmont, Center Harbor, Gilford, Gilmanton, Laconia, Meredith and New Hampton in Belknap County; Bedford, Goffstown, Manchester and Merrimack in Hillsborough County; Hooksett in Merrimack County; and all of Rockingham County, except Atkinson, Salem and Windham.
The 2nd congressional district is the remainder of the state, lying to the west and north of the 1st district.
Electoral College
Based on the total number of its Congressional delegation, New Hampshire has four votes in the Electoral College. The state awards its electoral votes on a winner-take-all basis.
Federal judiciary
New Hampshire is part of the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire in the federal judiciary. The district's cases are appealed to the Boston-based United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
Governing documents
State constitution
New Hampshire is governed by its constitution of 1783. The constitution is in two parts, a Bill of Rights and a longer Form of Government. Unlike the United States Constitution, amendments to the New Hampshire Constitution are not set out afterward but edit the text. It is one of the few state constitutions that acknowledge the right of revolution.
The state constitution is one of the few that do not expressly require public schools. However, in 1993, the state Supreme Court ruled in the first Claremont suit that a constitutional duty to "cherish the interest of...public schools" required the state to define and fund equal public schools statewide. The legislature complied slowly; in 2008, the Court ended its supervisory role because the original laws had been replaced, but it did not reverse its earlier finding.
The state constitution has many expressions concerning the character of the people and the criteria that should guide their election of officials. It also forbids the legislature from appropriating pensions for longer than the current year, although state employees now do have conventional employment contracts and a retirement system deemed "deferred compensation."
State law
The current codification of state law under the constitution is the New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated of 1955.
New Hampshire is the only state with no law requiring wearing of seat belts nor use of motorcycle helmets. (The law now does make these demands of those under 18.) A driver does not need to have vehicle insurance but must provide "proof of financial responsibility" to the state after an accident. Failure to do so can result in loss of driving privileges until the injured party is paid in full for their loss. Unlike the neighboring states, New Hampshire has no "bottle bill."
New Hampshire had no law against having an open container of alcohol in a car until 1990, though it has since cracked down on alcohol in numerous ways, including a 2008 enactment that makes underage possession of alcohol include possessing it inside one's body.
New Hampshire is a constitutional carry state, allowing open and concealed carry of all guns while not requiring any permits. New Hampshire also allows the protection of oneself or property with stand your ground laws expanding the castle doctrine.
Civil unions became legal in New Hampshire at the start of 2008, giving all the rights associated with marriage in the state to same-sex couples. On January 1, 2010, same-sex marriage became legal in New Hampshire, overriding the civil union law.