Chapter 13 NORTH CAROLINA: STATE GOVERNMENT

 Congress:  Comprised of?  ___________ laws  Upper House?  Requirements?  Lower House?  Requirements?  Checks? FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

 State Legislature is known as the General Assembly  170 members of the General Assembly  Powers:  Create statutes – laws that apply state wide  Local or specific laws – apply to certain counties or cities  Impeachment trials of government officials  Setting the budget NORTH CAROLINA LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

 General Assembly is elected by members of legislative districts that are re-drawn after every census  50 Members of North Carolina Senate  120 Members of North Carolina House of Representatives  Both are elected for two-year terms, there is no limit to number of terms  Qualifications  N.C. House – 21 yrs old, lived in district for 1 year prior to the election  N.C. Senate – 25 yrs old, citizen of N.C. for 2 yrs, and lived in district for 1 year prior to the election  Leadership:  N.C. House – Speaker of the House  N.C. Senate – Lt. Governor (President Pro Tempore is functional leader) ORGANIZATION OF THE ASSEMBLY

 Comprised of?  ___________ laws  Requirements?  Checks? FEDERAL EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 The Governor is North Carolina’s Chief of State and symbolic leader  Powers:  Appoints key state officials  Administers the state budget  Grants pardons/commutes sentences of criminals  Represents N.C. when dealing with other states  Qualifications and Terms:  4 year terms  Limited to 2 consecutive terms  30 years old  U.S. Citizen for at least 5 years  Lived in N.C. for at least 2 years immediately before the election NORTH CAROLINA EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 Lt. Governor  Elected separately from the Governor  Succeeds the governor if the office becomes vacant  Must meet same requirements as Governor  9 North Carolina Cabinet Members  Appointed by the Governor  Council of the State  8 heads of state agencies elected by the people  Elected to four-year terms  Can be elected to unlimited number of terms REST OF THE N.C. EXECUTIVE BRANCH

North Carolina Cabinet 1.Administration 2.Corrections 3.Public Safety 4.Health and Human Services 5.Environment and Natural Resources 6.Commerce 7.Revenue 8.Transportation 9.Cultural Resources Council of the State 1.Lt. Governor 2.Secretary of State 3.Attorney General 4.Agriculture 5.Insurance 6.Labor 7.Public Instruction 8.Treasurer 9.Auditor

 Comprised of?  ___________ laws  Requirements?  Checks FEDERAL JUDICIAL BRANCH

 Trial Courts:  District Courts  Counties are grouped into districts  No Jury, Judge decides the verdict  Cases include: juvenile law, divorce, family law, traffic violation, civil cases, initial hearings of more serious criminal cases  Superior Courts  Civil Cases dealing with more than $10,000  Felonies  Those found guilty in District Courts and request a trial with jury from a Superior Court  Court Members:  Clerk of Superior Court  Magistrates  District Attorney NORTH CAROLINA JUDICAL BRANCH

 Appeals Court  Voters elect 15 appeals court judges  Judges hear cases in groups of three, known as Panels  2/3 must agree to reach decision  Elected to 8 year terms  N.C. Supreme Court  7 Justices  Head known as “Chief Justice”  Elected to 8 year terms  Majority to make decisions N.C. APPEALS AND SUPREME COURT