The Executive Branch of State Government

The Governor The governor is the Chief Executive Officer of the state. Our current governor is Nathan Deal (Rep).

The Governor’s Term The governor is elected by a majority of the popular vote for a 4 year term. The Georgia constitution allows governors to serve 2 consecutive terms. Is it possible for a person to serve as governor for eight years? YES! After a second term, an individual must wait four more years before being able to run again.

Qualifications to be Governor At least 30 years old U.S. Citizen for at least 15 years Resident of Georgia for at least 6 years Who was Georgia’s youngest governor? Richard B. Russell (age 33)

What happens if the governor dies/resigns? The Lieutenant Governor becomes acting governor until the next general election for members of the General Assembly If the governor AND the lieutenant governor die/resign the Speaker of the House becomes acting governor until the next general election of the General Assembly

Formal Powers of the Governor Formal powers are powers the constitution gives to the governor They include executive, legislative and judicial powers.

Formal Powers of the Governor Makes annual “State of the State” address to the legislature Serves as Commander-in-Chief of the Georgia National Guard Heads the state’s civil defense units Sends the Georgia Highway Patrol and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in times of danger Carries out the laws of the state Appoints people to committee and positions Reviews and creates the state budget Proposes new laws Signs bills into laws Vetoes laws

Informal Powers of the Governor Informal powers are powers that are not written, but the governor can do. Some are the result of custom and tradition Others are necessary to enforce the formal powers

Informal Powers of the Governor Issues proclamations to honor individuals, holidays or special events Appears at special events Participates on special state committees Appoints individuals to boards and executive offices Communicates to the public personal position on issues Acts as honorary head of his/her political party Represents Georgia in meetings with other state and federal officials and foreign dignitaries Works with members of the legislature (General Assembly) to get laws passed Guides state agencies

The Lieutenant Governor Our current Lieutenant Governor is Casey Cagle (Rep).

The Lt. Governor’s Term The governor is elected by a majority of the popular vote for a 4 year term. Unlike the governor, the lieutenant governor can serve an unlimited number of consecutive terms. Is it possible for a person to serve as lieutenant governor for 16 years?

Yes! Zell Miller did! Zell Miller was the longest serving Lt. Governor in Ga history He served from 1975-1991 16 years – 4 terms!

Qualifications to be Lt. Governor (same as governor) At least 30 years old U.S. Citizen for at least 15 years Resident for Georgia for at least 6 years

They do not run on a ticket system/running mates of governor How are Georgia Lt. Governors different from a candidate for vice president of the U.S.? They do not run on a ticket system/running mates of governor They run independently Therefore, the state’s two highest elected officials may be from different political parties and view each other as political opponents Has this ever happened before?

Yes!! In 2002… November 2002, when Republican Sonny Perdue won election as governor and Democrat Mark Taylor won reelection as lieutenant governor. Given that the lieutenant governor is in the unique position of being a member of both the executive and legislative branches, one who does not have a compatible working relationship with a governor would be well placed to impede a governor's legislative agenda.

Role of the Lt. Governor Becomes acting governor if current governor dies/resigns Serves as the chief executive officer when the governor is out Presiding officer of the state senate Makes senate committee appointments Assigns senate bills to committees Recognizes members of the senate who wish to speak Because of these powers, the lieutenant governor may affect the passage or failure of some bills.

Georgia’s Other Elected Officials This reviews the Executive Branch Chart/worksheet Attorney General (4 year terms) Chief legal officer of the state Commissioner of Agriculture (4 yrs) Directs agricultural programs, maintains state farmers’ markets, supervises inspections, expands market Commissioner of Insurance (4 yrs) regulates insurance carriers and issues insurance licenses

Georgia’s Other Elected Officials Commissioner of Labor (4 yrs) Regulates the health and safety of workers, enforces labor laws, administers unemployment insurance programs, maintains data on labor Public Service Commissioners (6 yrs) Regulates utilities, controls rates/services of transportation, telephone and electric companies Secretary of State (4 yrs) Keeps state’s official records, publishes laws passed by legislature, supervises elections, appoints examining boards State School Superintendant (4 yrs) Directs statewide educational programs, enforces education regulations, administers education funds, certifies and licenses teachers, approve textbooks

Appointed Official, Boards and Commissions A statutory official – position is not provided for in constitution. Their jobs are called for by a statute (law). Statutory officials are NOT elected. They are appointed by the governor or head or directing boards of the dept in which they serve In addition, there are over 30 major agencies in our government that were created by constitution or statute – Members are appointed

Are there more elected officials or appointed officials in Georgia’s Executive Branch? What does that mean about the governor’s power/influence? He/She has a lot of power/influence in the Executive Branch In which departments would Georgia voters most likely be able to make a change? In departments with Elected Commissioners