[1] These commissioners constitute the legislative body of the city and, as a group, are responsible for taxation, appropriations, ordinances, and other general functions.
This form of government thus blends legislative and executive branch functions in the same body.
As a form, commission government once was common, but has largely been supplanted as many cities that once used it have since switched to the council–manager form, in which the elected council, presided over by a non-executive mayor, hires a professional manager to oversee day to day operations of the city.
[2] University of Chicago Professor Charles Zueblin was a major advocate of the commission plan of government, believing that every city in the United States would eventually adopt it.
Zueblin also predicted that the system would eventually replace the United States Senate and House of Representatives.