Legislatures and DOTs have several areas of overlap-and therefore possibilities for both tension and collaboration-in state transportation governance. The legislature is responsible for overseeing executive activities generally, and both legislatures and DOTs exercise some authority in developing policies and programs, defining expectations and measuring performance, and, in some states, engaging in the transportation planning process. This chapter explores several ways in which state legislatures and DOTs share the complex task of governing the nation's transportation system. The next chapter looks specifically at how they interact in relation to funding and financing decisions.