 In colonial Virginia , free men elected the lower house of the legislature , called the House of Burgesses , which together with the Governor 's Council , made the " General Assembly " . Founded in 1619 , the Virginia General Assembly is still in existence as the oldest legislature in the Western Hemisphere . In 2008 , the government was ranked by the Pew Center on the States with an A − in terms of its efficiency , effectiveness , and infrastructure , tied with Utah and Washington . This was the second consecutive time that Virginia received the highest grade in the nation . 
