As North Dakota’s economy and politics have changed，so has the composition of its society．Demand for better public services for disadvantaged citizens resulted in lawsuits that forced improvement in state facilities and de－institutionalization of many handicapped（残废的）people．Declining enrollments in elementary and secondary schools have brought about consolidations（巩固，合并）and school closures（关闭）．In higher education，public debate has centered on the number of colleges and universities in North Dakota and called attention to the state’s ability to support those institutions adequately．
Perhaps the most striking change，however，is reflected by a 1987census（人口普查）figure．According to census estimates，more North Dakotans now live in cities and towns than in rural areas，an alteration with dramatic implications（牵连，暗示）for the structure of the state’s economy and the composition of its government．
The issues that face modern North Dakota remain tied to its history．Attracting the capital necessary to develop necessary services，providing jobs and income for the people，and diversifying（使多样化）a colonial economy are tasks that have faced the state’s leaders since its earliest days．The old issues of self－determination and popular control are yet relevant as North Dakota enters its second century．
Today，North Dakota is a state where there is little air or water pollution．During the early 1990s，North Dakota gained 25，000new jobs．Trade with Canada and Mexico is growing and tourism is increasing as well．State leaders still strive to broaden（扩大）North Dakota’s economy that depends heavily upon agriculture．Increased industrial growth would raise the per capita income and create more job opportunities for North Dakotans．
Governor州长
John Hoeven出生在北达科他州的俾斯麦。1979年他获得了达特默思学院的学士学位，1981年又从西北大学获得了工商管理的硕士学位。1986—1993年，他在迈诺特第一个西方银行担任副行长。1993—2000年，他在北科达州的银行担任行长和执行总裁。那时银行资产从9亿美元增长到16亿美元。
John Hoeven was born in Bismarck，North Dakota．He earned a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College in 1979and a master’s degree in business administration from Northwestern University in 1981．Hoeven served as executive vice president of First Western Bank in Minot from 1986to 1993．From 1993to 2000，he served as president and CEO of the Bank of North Dakota，during which time the bank’s assets（资产）grew from900million to 1．6billion．
In December of 2000，Hoeven was elected governor and began working to build North Dakota’s future by focusing on six pillars of growth：education，economic development，agriculture，energy，technology and quality of life．Under his leadership，North Dakota has expanded and diversified its economy，adding many new jobs and businesses．In 2003and 2004，North Dakota led the nation in personal income and wage growth．When much of the nation struggled through a recession（工商业之衰退，不景气）and reported budget deficits，North Dakota continued to grow and diversify its economy．
Because of Hoeven’s stewardship（乘务员（服务员）的职位，工作），the state ended the last fiscal（财政的，国库岁入的）biennium（二年期间）with a substantial surplus going forward，and no new taxes．His current budget continues to provide more state funding for K－12education，additional revenue sharing with cities and counties，tax credits for farms and businesses，and a property tax break for seniors and people with disabilities．
In his second term as governor，Hoeven remains committed to enhancing the state’s business climate，holding the line on taxes and promoting North Dakota’s targeted industries，which are agriculture，energy，technology，advanced manufacturing and tourism．He proposed new initiatives for research and additional investments in education．These include continued increases for teacher compensation（补偿，赔偿）and expanded funding for Centers of Excellence，an initiative that combines education and economic development to create higher－paying jobs and new business opportunities for North Dakota citizens．
Hoeven directed the development of a multi－resource energy program for the state，with incentives（动机）in each energy sector，as well as a conservation component．North Dakota is the sixth largest energy producing and exporting state in the nation and Hoeven has worked to advance the state’s traditional energy resources，like lignite coal，oil and gas，while promoting renewable（可更新的，可恢复的）energy opportunities，such as wind，ethanol and biodiesel．
Protecting North Dakota’s citizens and communities has been an important focus of many of Hoeven’s policies and initiatives，including the introduction of new laws to strengthen the state’s violent and sexual offender statutes，and the expansion of North Dakota’s efforts to combat substance abuse，while helping young users through rehabilitative（使复原的，复职的）programs such as North Dakota’s Drug Courts．
Hoeven previously served as chair of the Midwestern Governors Association and the National Governors Association’s Health and Human Services Committee and Natural Resources Committee，as well as chair of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission and Governors’Ethanol Coalition．
Hoeven and his wife Mical（Mikey）have two children，Marcela and Jack．
State Bird州鸟
野云雀是北美草原最有特点的鸟类之一。西部野云雀或者东部野云雀可以在两岸以及加拿大的大草原墨西哥的草场和田野见到。西部野云雀更喜欢比较干燥的草场，而东部野云雀则比较喜欢潮湿的草场。只有西部野云雀可以在大平原的西部看见。尽管西部野云雀现在夏天也在五大湖和俄亥俄州山谷出现，在大平原的东部，东部野云雀数量依然居多。这种鸟的特别之处就在于在它黄色腹部有一个黑色的“V”字。
The meadowlark is one of the most characteristic birds of the North American grasslands．One of the two species，Western or Eastern（Sturnella magna），may be found in meadows and fields from one coast to the other and from the Canadian prairie to Mexico．The Western Meadowlark prefers drier grasslands and the Eastern chooses more moist（潮湿的）situations．Only the Western is found west of the Great Plains．East of the Great Plains，the Eastern predominates（支配，占优势）although the Western has recently extended its summer range into the Great Lakes region and the Ohio Valley．