The Executive Office of Education, the state’s chief education advocate, focuses on helping students achieve their academic and career goals by investing in research-based strategies. This office also works to improve public school standards, enhance student supports, and recognizes and rewards excellence. Another important division, the Division of Child Support Enforcement, assists parents with paternity determinations and collecting child support. The Division of Consumer Protection, meanwhile, pursues legislation and enforcement actions to protect consumers from fraud and unfair business practices.
Massachusetts is home to some of the nation’s most influential colleges and universities. The University of Massachusetts was founded as a land-grant college in 1863. Today, it is the state’s largest university, with five campuses in the state. Its main campus is located in Amherst, and there are also campuses in Lowell, Dartmouth, and Boston. It also has a medical school in Worcester.
A number of other organizations and institutions in the state have played an important role in national politics. Massachusetts has produced five presidents and several presidential nominees, and has also produced several congressional leaders. It is also home to several leading medical centers and specialty hospitals. It has a world-renowned program in cancer research.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health oversees public health services and promotes public health. There are also agencies focused on ensuring that Massachusetts residents have access to clean drinking water, healthy environment, and quality food. Each agency has its own mission and responsibilities. These agencies work to protect the public from health problems and societal problems.
After the Industrial Revolution, Massachusetts’ economy moved from heavy manufacturing to a service-based economy based on scientific research. Its close relationship between the computer and communications industries, and many educational institutions in the Boston area, contributed to its economic growth. The state also benefited from continuing investments in venture capital and a skilled workforce.
Massachusetts has a rich history of innovation. The state was the first to create the typewriter and the automobile, and the first subway in the United States was built in Boston in 1897. The chocolate chip cookie was invented in Whitman, Massachusetts, in 1930. The cookie was officially designated as the official cookie of the commonwealth in 1997.
The new parent organization will serve eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It will be the largest nonprofit hospice provider in the region. Its goal is to improve quality of life for patients and their families. The $75 million organization will be headquartered in Providence. This will help expand the nonprofit hospice movement in New England.
During the early colonial years, Massachusetts’ economy was heavily based on agriculture. The first farmers profited for about a decade, until the soil lacked sufficient nutrients to support the colonial population. In 1641, the state began shifting its economy to a maritime-based economy. The state’s long coastline and deep harbors fostered the growth of the maritime industry.
Historically, the state was dominated by the Republican Party. However, a massive influx of Irish immigrants fueled the Democratic Party, and in the early twentieth century, the Democratic Party dominated both houses of the legislature. However, factionalism within the Democratic Party allowed Republicans to dominate the governorship.
Other departments include the Appellate Tax Board, which hears and decides appeals of state and local taxes. The Appellate Tax Board also works to protect the rights of individuals and businesses in the Commonwealth. The Criminal Bureau investigates various criminal cases, including fraud, public corruption, and other breaches of public trust. The Attorney General’s Office, meanwhile, protects civil rights and promotes economic recovery.
