Branches of Government

The Executive Branch of government is the branch that enforces laws. The head of this branch is the governor, who is elected every four years. Along with the Governor, the Executive Branch also includes the Lieutenant Governor and many state agencies.

Our current Governor is Bev Perdue.

In January, our new Governor will be Pat McCrory. In January, our new Lieutenant Governor will be Dan Forest.

The Legislative Branch makes laws for North Carolina. It is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives, which together are known as the General Assembly. The General Assembly meets several times a year in Raleigh, the state capital. The House of Representatives consists of 120 members who serve a term of two years The Senate consists of 50 members who serve a term of two years. The Lieutenant Governor is President of the Senate and presides over the daily session.

Pat Hurley (Office is 532 Legislative Office Building) Allen McNeill (302 Legislative Office Building)

The House of Representatives used to meet on the second floor in the Capital Building. The top picture is the location in the Capital Building. The original 84-candle brass chandelier was lowered each day by a pulley to light the candles. The building originally was heated by 28 fireplaces, four of which are in this room. The blue curtains located behind the speakers' chairs in both chambers were added to block any drafts from the windows behind them. The bottom picture is the current location in the Legislative Building.

The Senate also used to meet on the second floor in the Capital Building. This room was designed to look like a famous temple in Greece. The bottom picture is the location in the Legislative Building.

The Judicial Branch interprets what our laws mean and makes decisions about the laws and those who break them. It is made up of several courts, the highest of which is the state Supreme Court.

The numbers tell which chair the justices sit in.