Connecticut

Connecticut is a  located in the  region of the. Southwestern Connecticut is also considered part of the. Connecticut is the most populous state with 3.4 million residents and ranked  in size by area, making it the  most densely populated state. . Called the "Constitution State," Connecticut has a long history dating from the early colonial times, and was influential in the development of early American government.

While Connecticut's first European settlers were, the first major settlements were established in the 1630s by the English. led a band of followers overland from the and founded what would become the ; other settlers from Massachusetts founded the  and the. Both the Connecticut and New Haven Colonies established documents of, considered the first s in North America. In 1662, the disparate colonies merged under a royal charter, making Connecticut a. This colony was one of the that revolted against  rule in the.

Connecticut enjoys a climate thanks to its long coastline on the. This has given the state a strong tradition. Modern Connecticut is also known for its wealth. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Connecticut had ready access to raw materials which helped to develop a strong. In the 19th and 20th centuries, financial organizations flourished: first companies in Hartford, then  along the. This prosperity has helped give Connecticut the highest income and  in the country.

Geography
Connecticut is bordered on the south by, on the west by , on the north by , and on the east by. The state capital is, and the other major cities include , , , , , , , , and. There are 169 s in Connecticut. There is an ongoing civic pride and economic competition between Hartford and New Haven, which stems back to the days when the two cities shared the state's capital, and even back to the rivalry between and. The highest peak in Connecticut is in  in the northwest corner of the state. The highest point is just east of where Connecticut,, and meet (42° 3' N; 73° 29' W), on the southern slope of , whose peak lies nearby in Massachusetts.

The Connecticut River cuts through the center of the state, flowing into Long Island Sound, Connecticut's outlet to the.

Despite its size, the state has regional variations in its landscape and culture from the wealthy estates of Fairfield County's "" to the rolling mountains and horse-farms of the of northwestern Connecticut. Connecticut's rural areas and small towns in the northeast and northwest corners of the state contrast sharply with its industrial cities, located along the coastal highways from the New York border to New Haven, then northwards to Hartford, as well as further up the coast near New London. Many towns center around a small park, known as a "green," (such as the ), Litchfield Green, Simsbury Green, and New Milford Green(the largest in the state). Near the green may stand a small white church, a town meeting hall, a tavern and several colonial houses. Forests, rivers, lakes, waterfalls and a sandy shore add to the state's beauty.

The northern boundary of the state with Massachusetts is marked by the distinctive /, an approximately 2.5 mile (4.0 km) square detour into Connecticut slightly west of the center of the border. Somewhat surprisingly, the actual origin of this anomaly is not absolutely certain, with stories ranging from surveyors who were drunk, attempting to avoid hostile Native Americans, or taking a shortcut up the Connecticut River; Massachusetts residents attempting to avoid Massachusetts' high taxes for the low taxes of Connecticut; Massachusetts' interest in the resources represented by the which lie on the border of the jog; and the need to compensate Massachusetts for an amount of land given to Connecticut due to inaccurate survey work. The dispute over the border slowed development in the region, since neither state would invest in public services for the area until the dispute had been settled.

The southwestern border of Connecticut, where it abuts New York State, is marked by a in, containing the towns of , ,  and. This irregularity in the boundary is the result of in the late 1600s, culminating with New York giving up its claim to this area, whose residents considered themselves part of Connecticut, in exchange for an equivalent area extending northwards from  to the Massachusetts border as well as undisputed claim to.

Areas maintained by the include: ; ; and.

Climate
Connecticut has a Humid Continental Climate, with seasonal extremes tempered by its proximity to the. Winters are cold, with average temperatures ranging from 31 °F (-1 °C) in the southeast to 23 °F (-5 °C) in the northwest in January. The average yearly snowfall is about 25–100" (64–254 cm) across the state, with higher totals in the northwest. Spring has variable temperatures with frequent rainfall. Summer is hot and humid throughout the state, with average highs in New London of 81 °F (27 °C) and 87 °F (31 °C) in Windsor Locks. Fall months are mild, and bring foliage across the state in October and November. During hurricane season, tropical cyclones occasionally affect the region. Thunderstorms are most frequent during the summer, occurring on average 30 times annually. These storms can be severe, though tornadoes are rare.

History
The name "Connecticut" originates from the word quinnitukqut, meaning "place of long tidal river." The first European explorer in Connecticut was the Dutch explorer. After he explored this region in 1614, Dutch fur traders sailed up the Connecticut River (Named Versche Rivier by the Dutch) and built a fort at Dutch Point near present-day Hartford, which they called "House of Hope" (: Huis van Hoop).

, then of Massachusetts, got permission to create a new colony at at the mouth of the Connecticut River in 1635. This was the first of three distinct colonies that later would be combined to make up Connecticut. Saybrook Colony was a direct challenge to Dutch claims. The colony was not more than a small outpost and never matured. In 1644, the Saybrook Colony merged itself into the Connecticut Colony.

The first English settlers came in 1633 and settled Windsor and Wethersfield. However the main body of settlers came in one large group in 1636. The settlers were s from Massachusetts, led by. Hooker had been prominent in England, and was a professor of Theology at Cambridge. He was also an important political writer, and made a significant contribution to Constitutional theory. He broke with the political leadership in Massachusetts, and, just as created a new polity in, Hooker and his cohort did the same and established the  at Hartford in 1636. This was the second of the three colonies.

Because the Dutch were outnumbered by the flood of English settlers from Massachusetts, they left their fort in 1654.

The third colony was founded in March of 1638. , (originally known as the Quinnipiack Colony), was established by, and others at New Haven. The New Haven Colony had its own Constitution, 'The Fundamental Agreement of the New Haven Colony' which was signed on June 4, 1639.

Neither the establishment of the Connecticut Colony or the Quinnipiack Colony were done with the sanction of British imperial authorities, and were independent political entities. They naturally were presumptively English, but in a legal sense, they were only secessionist outposts of Massachusetts Bay. In 1662, Winthrop took advantage of this void in political affairs, and obtained in England the charter by which the colonies of Connecticut and Quinnipiack were united. Although Winthrop's charter favored the Connecticut colony, New Haven remained a seat of government with Hartford, until after the American Revolution.

Winthrop was very politically astute, and secured the charter from the newly restored ; who granted the most liberal political terms.

Historically important colonial settlements included:
 * (1633),
 * (1634),
 * (1635),
 * (1636),
 * (1638),
 * (1639),
 * (1639),
 * (1646),
 * (1647)

Its first constitution, the "," was adopted on, , while its , the third for Connecticut, was adopted in 1965. Connecticut is the fifth of the original thirteen states. The original constitutions influenced the US Constitution as one of the leading authors was of New Haven.

The western boundaries of Connecticut have been subject to change over time. According to a 1650 agreement with the, the western boundary of Connecticut ran north from the west side of "provided the said line come not within 10 miles [16 km] of Hudson River." On the other hand, Connecticut's original Charter in 1662 granted it all the land to the "South Sea," i.e. the Pacific Ocean. Most colonial royal grants were for long east-west strips. Connecticut took its grant seriously, and established a ninth county between the Susquehanna and Delaware Rivers, named. This resulted in the brief with. Connecticut's lands also extended across northern Ohio, called the lands. The Western Reserve section was settled largely by people from Connecticut, and they brought Connecticut place names to Ohio. Agreements with Pennsylvania and New York extinguished the land claims by Connecticut within its neighbors, and the Western Reserve lands were relinquished to the federal government, which brought the state to its present boundaries.

Names and symbols
Connecticut's official nickname, adopted in 1959, is "The Constitution State," based on its colonial constitution of 1638–39. Unofficially (but popularly) Connecticut is also known as "The State". The nutmeg connection to Connecticut may come from its sailors returning from voyages with nutmeg (which in the 18th and 19th centuries was a very valuable spice in New England). It is also said to come from peddlers from Connecticut who would sell small carved nobs of wood shaped to look like nutmeg to unsuspecting customers. gave Connecticut the title of "The Provisions State" because of the material aid the state rendered to the effort. Connecticut is also known as "The Land of Steady Habits".

According to Webster's New International Dictionary, 1993, a person who is a native or resident of Connecticut is a "Connecticuter". There are numerous other terms coined in print, but not in use, such as: "Connecticotian" - in 1702. "Connecticutensian" - in 1781. "Nutmegger" is sometimes used, as is "Yankee" (the official State Song is ""), though this usually refers someone from the wider region. Linguist Allen Walker Read reports a more playful term, 'connecticutie.' The traditional abbreviation of the state's name is "Conn."; the official is CT.

s issued by the with Connecticut themes include, , , , , the   the  which is docked in , and a  of a broadbill.



Demographics


As of 2005, Connecticut has an estimated population of 3,510,297, which is an increase of 11,331, or 0.3%, from the prior year and an increase of 104,695, or 3.1%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 67,427 people (that is 222,222 births minus 154,795 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 41,718 people into the state. from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 75,991 people, and within the country produced a net loss of 34,273 people. Based on the 2005 estimates, Connecticut moves from the 29th most populous state to 30th.

6.6% of its population was reported as being under 5 years old, 24.7% under 18 years old, and 13.8% were 65 years of age or older. Females made up approximately 51.6% of the population, with 48.4% male.

In 1790, 97% of the population in Connecticut were classified as "rural". The first census in which less than half the population was classified as rural was 1890. In the 2000 census, it was only 12.3%. The southwestern coast is all urban and is most widely known from New York City. The eastern half of the state though mostly is associated with Boston because of proximity. This split has caused a lack of more than a few professional sport teams. ie: NHL hockey since the mid 1990s, NFL football, MLS soccer and men's basketball.

The of Connecticut is located in the town of.

Race, ancestry, and language
As of 2004, 11.4% of the population (400,000) was foreign-born, and 10% of the foreign-born in the state were illegal aliens (about 1.1% of the population). In 1870, native-born Americans had accounted for 75% of the state's population, but that had dropped to 35% by 1918.

As of 2000, 81.69% of Connecticut residents age 5 and older spoke at home and 8.42% spoke, followed by  at 1.59%,  at 1.31% and  at 1.20%.

The five largest reported ancestries in the state are: (18.6%),  (16.6%),  (10.3%),  (9.9%), and  (9.9%).

Connecticut has large and  populations, as well as German and , second highest percentage of any state behind Rhode Island. is the largest ancestry group in five of the state's counties, while the are the largest group in Tolland county,  the largest group in Windham county, and old stock  are present throughout. Connecticut is the most Italian-American state percentage-wise, just above Rhode Island. and (mostly ) are numerous in the urban areas of the state. Connecticut also has a sizable population, with  containing the largest Polish-American population in the state.

More recent immigrant populations include those from, , , , , , , , and former countries.

Religion
A 2001 survey of Connecticut residents' religious self-identification showed the following distribution of affiliations:


 * – 32%
 * – 10%
 * – 6%
 * – 4%
 * – 4%
 * / – 2%
 * – 1%
 * – 1%
 * Other Protestant or general Protestant – 4%
 * – 2%
 * – 2%
 * – 1%
 * Non-denominational – 1%
 * Other Christian – 7%
 * – 1%
 * – 1%
 * Other Religions – 4%
 * Non-Religious – 12%
 * No answer – 6%

There is a significant population in the state, concentrated in the towns near Long Island Sound between  and, in  and in , especially the suburb of.

Recent has brought other non-Christian religions to the state, but the numbers of adherents of other religions are still low.

Economy
The total for 2004 was $187 billion. The for 2005 was $47,819, ranking first among the states. There is, however, a great disparity in incomes through the state; although New Canaan has one of the highest per capita incomes in America, Hartford is one of the ten cities with the in America (The low number may partially be due to the fact that the city, like other cities in the area, has a small footprint relative to a typical American city (only about 18 square miles) and therefore does not have more middle-income areas included in its total to "balance out", statistically, inner areas with older housing stock and a poorer population). Should Hartford (or similar cities New Haven and Bridgeport) be combined with its immediate suburbs, it would rank as one of the richest cities in the country. Fairfield County has become a for higher-paid  workers seeking a less urban lifestyle. This in turn has attracted businesses wishing to remain near New York City to southwestern Connecticut, most notably to.

is the, with a per capita income of $85,459. ,, , , , and  also have per capita incomes over $65,000. is the poorest city in Connecticut, with a per capita income of $13,428 (although see above). There are other lower-income and blue-collar towns, mostly parts of towns, in the eastern part of the State. Poor and medium wealth households are particularly affected by a very high cost of living, due to a combination of expensive real estate, expensive heating for the winters, and other factors.

Taxation
Prior to 1991, Connecticut had a highly populist system. Income from employment was untaxed, but income from investments was taxed at the highest rate in the United States: 13%. And this burden was further increased by the method of calculation: no deductions were allowed for the cost (for example, interest on borrowing) of producing the investment income. Under Governor, an Independent, this was reformed to the present system.

This system prior to 1991 made it an attractive haven for high-salaried earners fleeing the heavy taxes of, but highly unattractive for members of Wall Street partnerships. It put an enormous burden on Connecticut payers, particularly in the cities with their more extensive. As a result, the largely fled the urban areas for the s, taking stores and other tax-paying businesses with them, leaving mostly the urban poor in the older, central areas of Connecticut cities.

With Weicker's 1991 tax reform, the tax on employment and investment income was equalized at a then-maximum of 4%. Since then, Greenwich, Connecticut, has become the headquarters of choice for a large number of America's largest s, and Connecticut income from that industry has soared. Today the income tax rate on Connecticut individuals is divided into two tax brackets of 3% and 5%. All s of a Connecticut resident are subject to the state's income tax, even when the resident works outside of the state. However, in those cases, Connecticut income tax must be withheld only to the extent the Connecticut tax exceeds the amount withheld by the other jurisdiction. Since New York state has higher tax rates than Connecticut, this effectively means that Connecticut residents that work in New York state pay no income tax to Connecticut.

Connecticut levies a 6% state on the retail sale, lease, or rental of most goods. Some items and services in general are not subject to sales and use taxes unless specifically enumerated as taxable by. There are no additional sales taxes imposed by local jurisdictions. During the summer there is one week of duty free buying to spur retail sales.

All real and personal property located within the state of Connecticut is taxable unless specifically exempted by statute. All assessments are at 70% of. Another 20% of the value may be taxed by the local government though. The maximum property tax credit is $500 per return and any excess may not be refunded or carried forward. Connecticut does not levy an intangible personal.

Real estate
Homes in southwestern Connecticut on the fringes of the metropolitan area are quite expensive. Many towns have median home prices over $500,000, with some more desirable homes exceeding $1 million. Greenwich has the most expensive real estate market, with most houses selling at over $1 million and most condos selling at over $600,000. Connecticut has the most million-dollar homes in the northeast, and the second most in the nation after California, with 3.3% of homes in Connecticut priced over one million dollars in 2003. In 2007, the median price for a house in Connecticut passed $300,000 for the first time, even though most of the country was mired in a real estate slump.

Industries
The agricultural output for the state is, , s, , and. Its industrial outputs are ation equipment (especially s, parts, and s), heavy industrial machinery and electrical equipment, military weaponry and fabricated metal products,  and  products, and s.

Due to the prominence of the aircraft industry in the state, Connecticut has an official state aircraft, the, and an official Connecticut Aviation Pioneer,. The state officially recognizes aircraft designer as "Father of Connecticut Aviation" for his research into powered flight in  in 1901, two years before the  at. Governor John Dempsey also declared August 15 to be "Gustave Whitehead Day."

A report issued by the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism on, 2006 demonstrated that the economic impact of the arts, film, history and tourism generated more than $14 billion in economic activity and 170,000 jobs annually. This provides $9 billion in personal income for Connecticut residents and $1.7 billion in state and local revenue.

Roads
s carved valleys in Connecticut running north to south; as a result, many more roadways in the state run north to south than do east to west, mimicking the previous use of the many north-south rivers as transportation. The s in the state are (the ) running southwest to northeast along the coast,  running southwest to northeast in the center of the state,  running north to south in the center of the state, and  running north to south near the eastern border of the state. The other major highways in Connecticut are the and, which together form , running from the  in  parallel to I-95 before turning north of  and running parallel to I-91, finally becoming a surface road in. Route 15 and I-95 were originally s; they relied on a system of s at which all traffic stopped and paid fixed tolls. A series of terrible crashes at these plazas eventually contributed to the decision to remove the tolls in 1988. Other major arteries in the state include in the west running parallel to the NY border,  farther west near the industrial city of Waterbury and running north-south along the Naugatuck River Valley nearly parallel with U.S. 7, and  in the east. See for an overview of the state's highway system.

Between New Haven and the New York City, I-95 is one of the most congested highways in the United States. Many people now drive longer distances to work in the New York City area. This strains the three lanes of traffic capacity, resulting in lengthy delays. Frequently, the congestion spills over to clog the parallel Merritt Parkway. The state has encouraged traffic reduction schemes, including rail use and.

Rail
Since many Connecticut residents commute to, there is an extensive way network connecting New York City to on  (a commuter railroad based in New York and operated by the Metropolitan Transit Authority) with spurs servicing Waterbury, Danbury, and New Canaan. Rail service does not end with New Haven, however. Connecticut is in the heart of Amtrak's and the Amtrak Regional line makes stops in New Haven-State Street, Old Saybrook, New London, and Mystic. Smaller town stops between New Haven and New London are served by, which takes commuters to those stations to catch a main train. These commuter services are heavily utilized during weekday rush hours. Regional rail service is provided by, which makes regular stops in Stamford, Bridgeport, New Haven, and Hartford, as well as in Wallingford, Meriden, Berlin, Windsor, and Windsor Locks. There are plans to operate commuter trains from New Haven to Springfield on Amtrak's.

Bus
Statewide service is supplied by, owned by the , with smaller municipal authorities providing local service. Bus networks are an important part of the transportation system in Connecticut, especially in urban areas like Hartford, Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport and New Haven. A three-year construction project to build a busway from New Britain to Hartford will begin in August 2009.

Air
, which became truly 'International' in the summer of 2007 beginning service to Europe, is located in, 15 miles (24 km) north of. Regional air service is provided at. Larger civil airports include and  in western Connecticut. The in  serves part of southwestern Connecticut.

Law and government
has been the sole capital of Connecticut since 1875. Before then, and Hartford alternated as capitals.

Constitutional History
Connecticut is known as the “Constitution State.” While the origin on this title is uncertain, the nickname is assumed to reference the  of 1638-39. These Fundamental Orders represent the framework for the first formal written by a representative body in Connecticut. The government has operated under the direction of four separate documents in the course of. After the Fundamental Orders, Connecticut was granted governmental authority by King through the Connecticut Charter of 1662. While these two documents acted to lay the ground work for the state’s government, both lacked essential characteristics of a. The Fundamental Orders and the Connecticut Charter could both be altered simply by a majority vote of the. Separate branches of government did not exist during this period, and the General Assembly acted as the supreme authority. A true constitution was not adopted in Connecticut until 1818. Finally, the current state constitution was implemented in 1965. The 1965 constitution absorbed a majority of its 1818 predecessor, but incorporated a handful of important modifications. Another possible source of the nickname "constitution state" comes from Connecticut's pivotal role in the federal constitutional convention of 1787, during which Roger Sherman and helped to orchestrate what became known as the, or the Great Compromise. This plan combined the and the  to form a bicameral legislature, a form copied by almost every state constitution since the adoption of the federal constitution.

Executive
The governor heads the executive branch. The current is  (Republican). The current  is. From 1639 until the adoption of the 1818 constitution, the governor presided over the General Assembly. Connecticut was the first state in the United States to elect a woman as governor without electing her husband first, in 1974.

There are several executive departments: Administrative Services, Agriculture, Banking, Children and Families, Consumer Protection, Correction, Economic and Community Development, Developmental Services, Education, Environmental Protection, Higher Education, Information Technology, Insurance, Labor, Mental Health and Addiction Services, Military, Motor Vehicles, Public Health, Public Safety, Public Utility Control, Public Works, Revenue Services, Social Services, Transportation, Veterans Affairs. In addition to these departments, there are other independent bureaus, offices and commissions.

In addition to the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, there are four other executive officers named in the state constitution that are elected directly by voters: Secretary of State, Treasurer, Comptroller and Attorney General. All executive officers are elected to four year terms.

Legislative
The is the. The General Assembly is a body consisting of an upper body, the  (36 senators); and a lower body, the  (151 representatives). Bills must pass each house in order to become law. The governor can veto the bill, but this veto can be overridden by a two-thirds majority in each house. Senators and representatives, all of whom must be at least eighteen years of age, are elected to two-year terms in November on even-numbered years. The Lieutenant Governor presides over the senate, except when absent from the chamber, when the presides. The presides over the House;  is the current Speaker of the House of Connecticut. The currently hold the majority in both houses of the General Assembly.

Connecticut's U.S. senators are (Democrat) and  (Democrat) who is part of the Democratic Caucus. Connecticut currently has five, four of whom are Democrats.

Judicial
The highest of Connecticut's judicial branch is the Supreme Court, headed by the Chief Justice of Connecticut. The Supreme Court is responsible for deciding on the constitutionality of the law or cases as they relate to the law. Its proceedings are similar to those of the United States Supreme Court, with no testimony given by witnesses, and the lawyers of the two sides each present oral arguments no longer than thirty minutes. Following a court proceeding, the court may take several months to arrive at a judgment. The current is.

Before 1818 the highest court in Connecticut was the General Assembly, and later, the Upper House, with the Governor having the title "Chief Judge". In 1818, the court became a separate entity, independent of the legislative and executive branches. The Appellate Court is a lesser state-wide court and the Superior Courts are lower courts that resemble county courts of other states.

Local government
and several lists:, , , , Connecticut has 169, which serve as the fundamental local political subdivision of the state; the entire state is divided into towns. Connecticut shares a local form of government with the rest of called the. There are also 21 cities, most of which are coterminous with their namesake towns and have a merged city-town government. There are two exceptions:, which is a subsection of the and the City of  in the Town of. There are also nine incorporated s which may provide additional services to a section of town. One,, is a consolidated town and borough.

Unlike most other states, Connecticut does not have government. Connecticut county governments were mostly eliminated in 1960, with the exception of the system. In 2000, the county sheriff was abolished and replaced with the system, which has districts that follow the old county territories. The judicial system is divided, at the trial court level, into judicial districts. The are still widely used for purely geographical and statistical purposes, such as s, and census reporting.

The state is divided into 15 defined by the state Office of Planning and Management. The Intragovernmental Policy Division of this Office coordinates regional planning with the administrative bodies of these regions. Each region has an administrative body known as either a regional council of governments, a regional council of elected officials, or a regional planning agency. The regions are established for the purpose of planning "coordination of regional and state planning activities; designation or redesignation of logical planning regions and promotion of the continuation of regional planning organizations within the state; and provision for technical aid and the administration of financial assistance to regional planning organizations."

Politics
Connecticut is a generally left-leaning state, allotting its electoral votes to Democratic candidates in the past four presidential elections but to Republican presidential candidates five times in the 1970s and 1980s. Connecticut has a high number of voters who are not registered with a major party. As of 2004, 33.7% of registered voters were registered Democratic, 22.0% were registered Republican, and 44.0% were unaffiliated with any party, with 0.2% registered with a minor party. Voters in the state are more supportive of and may be considered to be generally.

Many Connecticut towns show a marked preference for moderate candidates of either party. Democrats hold a registration edge especially in the cities of ; ; and, where Democratic machines have held power since the great immigration waves of the 1800s. The state's Republican-leaning areas are the rural and adjoining towns in the west of, the industrial towns of the , and some of the affluent  towns near the  border. The suburban towns of and  in Fairfield County are considered the most Republican areas in the state, the former being the hometown of conservative activist. , a wealthy town a few miles to the east, is often considered one of the most loyally-Democratic, liberal towns in Fairfield County. and, two larger, affluent communities in Fairfield County, have in many elections favored moderate Republicans including former Governor and Congressman , however they have favored Democrats in recent US presidential candidates. has a Democratic registration edge, but usually favors conservative candidates in both parties. In unaffiliated voters outnumber voters registered with either major party. Other smaller cities including, , and favor Democratic candidates.

Democrats hold veto-proof majorities in both houses of the state legislature. In 2006, Republicans were reduced from three out of five to one out of five congressional seats. The remaining Republican,, is the only Republican from New England in the House of Representatives in the and is also one of the most liberal Republicans in the House. and are Connecticut's U.S. senators. The senior Dodd is a Democrat while the junior Lieberman serves as an caucusing with Senate Democrats after his victory on the  ballot line in the 2006 general election. Lieberman's predecessor,, was the last Connecticut Republican to serve as Senator. Weicker was known as a liberal Republican. He broke with President during  and successfully ran for governor in 1990 as an independent, creating  as his election vehicle. Before Weicker, the last to represent Connecticut in the Senate was, the father of former President  and the grandfather of President. He served from 1953–1963.

Political corruption
Several mayors, state legislators, and government employees have been convicted and imprisoned for crimes ranging from bribery to racketeering. In 2004, Governor, a Republican, was forced to resign when it was discovered he helped steer state contracts to firms that offered him gifts and free vacations. Following his resignation, he pled guilty to corruption charges and served ten months in federal prison. Former Mayor and 2000 GOP Senate candidate  was stripped of power in 2001 after a corruption investigation had to be cut short when phone taps unexpectedly revealed alleged sexual acts with 8- and 10-year-old minor girls and other possible acts of. In 2003, he was convicted and sentenced to 37 years in federal prison. Democrats have been convicted of corruption as well, most notably former Bridgeport Mayor. The current Mayor of Bridgeport, admitted to using cocaine while in office, but has stayed on while not running for re-election. In August 2007 Hartford Mayor announced he had been investigated for ties to a city contractor. 

Several state agencies, including the, , and have been rocked by scandals over the past decade.

A more recent scandal involved a botched construction project on near Waterbury. An independent audit of the project in late 2006 revealed that over 300 storm drains installed by the now-defunct L.G. DeFelice Construction Company, were either filled with sand, were improperly installed, or were connected with pipes that led to nowhere. In addition to the faulty storm drains, officials discovered light fixtures with defective mounting brackets when one of the fixtures fell off of its support pole and onto the highway. Inspectors also discovered the structural steel for an overpass was not properly installed, raising serious questions about the bridge's structural integrity. Following the uncovering of this scandal, Attorney-General filed suit against L.G. DeFelice, its bonding company, and the consultants (the Maguire Group) hired by CONNDOT to oversee the project, resulting in a $17.5 million settlement to fix the problems. A federal and FBI investigation were also launched into the operations of L.G. DeFelice before the company ceased operations in 2004. Several CONNDOT employees were fired after being implicated in the scandal, and are also subjects of state and federal investigations for allegedly taking in exchange for covering up substandard work on the I-84 project. Finally, the scandal prompted the to consider contract reform legislation and Governor  to order a complete reorganization of CONNDOT.

On June 1, 2007, Senate Minority Leader (R-Woodbury) was arrested on conspiracy charges after it was discovered he was dealing with a local Mafia boss who is currently facing federal charges stemming from his trash-hauling operations, and allegations that he tried to use these same ties to intimidate the husband of his grandaughter, whom he claimed was abusing her.

Following Rowland's resignation, the state legislature passed a campaign finance reform bill that bans contributions from lobbyists and state contractors in future campaigns.

Education
Connecticut is well-known as the home of, which maintains a consistent ranking as one of the world's most renowned universities, and has the most selective undergraduate program of any university in the United States (an 8.6% acceptance rate in 2006). Yale is one of the largest employers in the state, and its research activity has recently spun off dozens of growing biotechnology companies.

Connecticut is also the host of many other academic institutions, including, (1825), and , (1832). The has been the highest ranked public university in New England for eight years running, according to . The State's capital university,, (1877), is a private, independent, and nonsectarian coeducational university located in West Hartford, Connecticut. It was chartered through the joining of the Hartford Art School, Hillyer College, and The Hartt School of Music in 1957.

Additionally, the State has many noted s, such as, , , , , , and  which draw students from all over the world. Also Connecticut has many noted private day schools such as located in  and the  based in.

for a comprehensive listing.

Sports

 * From 1979 to 1997, the National Hockey League had a franchise in Hartford, the . Their departure to, caused great controversy and resentment. The former Whalers are now known as the.


 * Connecticut is a battleground between fans of the, , and


 * In 1876, Hartford had a franchise in baseball's known as the.


 * In 1926, Hartford had a franchise in the known as the.


 * From 1975 to 1995, the of the  played a number of home games at the.


 * Since 1952, a golf tournament has been played in the Hartford area.  Originally called the "Insurance City Open" and later the "Greater Hartford Open," the event is now know as the.

The Pilot Pen Tennis Tournament is held annually at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale University. It is one of the few dual-sex tournaments in professional tennis and is the warm-up tournament to the US Open, played the following week in Queens, New York. The court speed and weather conditions are identical to those at the US Open.

The is the state's sanctioning body for high school sports. claimed the 2005 Class LL football championship. Other state champions in football include Staples (in Westport), Greenwich High School (Greenwich, CT) 2006 state LL champions, Branford, Daniel Hand (in Madison), Woodland Regional (in Beacon Falls), East Lyme High School (in East Lyme), Hyde Leadership (in Hamden), Southington High School (in Southington).

Famous residents
, the current President of the United States, was born in Connecticut. He is a member of the, with roots in the state extending three generations. Other notable figures from the state span American political and cultural history, including, , , , , , , , and , and. The state is home to many actors, entertainers and businesspeople.

Government

 * State of Connecticut - Official state website
 * Connecticut State Register & Manual - updated annually
 * Directory of Web sites of Connecticut towns and cities

Tourism

 * CTVisit.com - Official state tourism website

History

 * www.ctgenealogy.com Connecticut Society of Genealogists (Est. 1968)
 * Connecticut Historical Society
 * USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Connecticut
 * U.S. Census Bureau
 * Connecticut State Facts

Civic and business organizations

 * Connecticut Junior Chamber (Jaycees)
 * Connecticut Newspapers
 * Connecticut Business & Industry Association
 * The Connecticut Business Hall Of Fame