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New York enjoys a high degree of political autonomy. Although they have elected republican mayors since 1994, the majority of New-Yorkers support the democrats; during the 1994 presidential elections, 74% of the votes cast in the city were in favour of John Kerry. The current mayor is Michael Bloomberg, a democrat turned republican, who was first elected in 2001 and was re-elected for a second term in 2005.

The administration of New York is divided into three distinct branches:

• Executive - led by the elected mayor of the city, the executive administration is responsible for Operations, Economic Development, Policy, Administration and Legal Affairs. The mayor has exceptional powers in case of emergencies, such as natural catastrophes or civil unrest.
  
  
• Legislative - The local laws and regulations applicable in New York are agreed by the 51 members of the City Council, each of whom represents an area of the city. The members are elected every four years and are not permitted to serve for more than two four-year terms. The leader of the majority party is appointed as speaker of the council. In 2005, the council was dominated by democrats, who held no fewer than 47 seats.
  
  
• Judicial - Unlike the rest of the state, the boroughs of New York City share a single civil tribunal, with local annexes in the districts. Each borough has a penal tribunal, responsible for dealing with minor offences; serious criminal offences are dealt with by the Supreme Court.