1. Evolution of MS’s Govnt. & Structure of MS’s Govnt.
MS Studies Ch. 14, 15, & 16
Evolution of MS’s Govnt. & Structure of MS’s Govnt.

2. MS Constitutions MS has had 4 different constitutions
Const. of 1817 – Statehood
Const. of 1832 – Jacksonian Democracy
Const. of 1868 – After Civil War
Const. of Current

3. MS’s Government 3 Branches Executive – carries out laws
Legislative – makes laws
Judicial – Decides what laws mean

4. Old capital building

5. Jackson’s Capital Building

6. Capital building interior

8. Legislature Bicameral (two Houses) Most work done in Committees Senate
52 members
4 year terms
Lieutenant Governor presides over Senate but is not a member
House of Representatives
122 members
Speaker of the House controls and presides over the House

10. Executive Branch Governor – Phil Bryant
Chief Executive Officer of the State
Commander in Chief of the National Guard
Can serve two 4 year terms
Can veto legislation
Weak compared to other state governors

11. Phil Bryant

12. Executive Branch (Cont.)
Other Elected Officials
Lieutenant Governor – Tate Reeves
Acts as Governor when the Governor is out of the state or incapacitated
Secretary of State – Delbert Hosemann
State’s Records Keeper
Attorney General – Jim Hood
Lawyer for the State
Treasurer – Lynn Fitch
Keeper of the State’s money
Auditor – Stacey Pickering
Checks financial accounts of all state agencies

13. Attorney General Jim Hood
Delbert Hoseman
Sec. of State
Attorney General Jim Hood
Lieutenant Governor
Tate Reeves

14. Treasurer Auditor

15. Judiciary Branch State Courts Circuit Courts & Chancery Courts
Circuit Courts - deal with criminal law
Chancery Courts – deal with problems of equity or fairness (recording deeds, keeping records of chancery court, keeping financial records)
Court of Appeals
Here appeals from lower MS courts
Supreme Court
Highest Court in MS
9 Justices
Decisions are final unless sent to Federal Court

16. 3 MS supreme court districts

17. 22 Circuit Court districts

18. The 20 Chancery Court Districts

19. Federal Entities in MS Federal Courts
Two Federal Court Districts
Northern – has three Federal Judges
Southern – has six Federal Judges
U.S. Senators and Representatives
2 Senators elected for six year terms
4 Representatives to House for two year terms

20. MS 2 senators
Wicker, Roger F.- (R - MS)
Cochran, Thad- (R - MS)

21. MS Congressional District

22. 3rd District
Gregg Harper
1st District
Alan Nunnelee
2nd District
Bennie Thompson
4th District
Steven Palazzo

23. Local Government
County & City Governments make up Local Government

24. County Government presides over rural areas that are not within a city
MS counties are governed by a board of supervisors
The main source of revenue for a country is the ad valorem tax.
Each county is divided into districts called beats.

25. County Government County Board of Supervisors
Chief governing body of the county
maintaining roads, bridges, and ferries
regulating fireworks
levying taxes
County Law Enforcement and Courts
Sheriff – chief law enforcement officer in a county
Tax Assessor -
Courts – Each county divided into two to five court districts
Each district elects a Justice Court Judge and Constable

26. Municipal (City) Government
When cities are created by the state, they are called Municipalities
More than 300 today
If an area petitions to become a city it must list the services that it plans to give its citizens.
Types of Municipal Government
Cities & towns may pick from four basic forms of Municipal Government
Mayor-Alderman – Most Popular
Mayor-Council
Commission (mayor has no veto power)
Council-Manager
Another name for a city council is the board of alderman.

27. Mayor Alderman

28. Mayor-Council Plan

29. Commission Plan

30. Council-Manager

31. Function & Job of Municipal Government
Job is to provide public services such as: police and fire protection, clean water, sewers, and garbage collections. Repair and build streets and take care of recreational facilities, libraries, and parks.
Eminent Domain = the taking of private property for public use.
The government may take property to build a new road.
citizens must be justly compensated (the issue may be settled in court.)

32. Eminent Domain
FOR Against

33. Local Courts
Justice Courts - County Court that handles small misdemeanors and civil disputes
County Courts - Created in the large counties to take burden off of the Circuit Court
Municipal Court - City court that serves the same purpose as the Justice Court does in the county

34. Jury Service
Jury is a group of citizens chosen from the list of registered voters to hear evidence on a case and make a decision based on the evidence presented.
A person may be dismissed from jury duty if they may suffer financial hardship from serving.
A person cannot serve on a jury if they have been convicted of a felony.
12 people serve on a jury (15 on a grand jury)
A grand jury’s main duty is to determine if there is enough evidence to indict a person.
writ of habeas corpus = A court order requiring a person being held be brought before the court to determine if he/she is being held lawfully

35. School Systems Local Public Schools
More than 200,000 people in MS are employed in public sector jobs and nearly one-half of these jobs are in the public schools
Compulsory age for school attendance in Mississippi is 17.

36. County & Municipal Schools
Two Types of School Districts
County School Districts – County schools
Superintendent is elected and a five member school board is elected
Municipal School Districts – City schools
School Board is appointed by the Mayor and the School Board appoints the Superintendent
5 members serve on the school board
School funding comes from local property taxes, state funding, and some federal funding

37. Elections
A person must be at least 18 years old to vote in Mississippi elections.
A person must register to vote at least 30 days before the election to be eligible to participate in the election.
Two primary parties in MS are Republican & Democrat
Caucus
Today it is usually a meeting by a party to discuss major issues of policy on public matters
Primaries - held just before the General Elections. The people vote inside a political party for the candidate that they want to represent them in the General Election.
General Election - the actual election process where the party primary winners run against one another for a public office

38. Primary and General Elections

39. Electoral College

40. MS voting stats from

41. MS Teenagers and the law
A person is considered a minor until they are 21 but there are many exceptions for 18 years olds.
18 year olds can enter into contracts for personal property.
Marriage License
Parents must be notified if the applicant is under 21.
Boys must be at least 17, girls 15 (unless a chancellor approves)
Both must be tested for syphilis.

43. MS Teenagers and the law
The Juvenile Justice System
A delinquent child is one between the ages of 10 and 18 who has committed a crime.
Children between the ages of can be tried as an adult if the crime is severe.
Youth court proceedings are not open to the public and do not have a jury.
Records are kept confidential.

44. MS Teenagers and the law
The most common drug used by teenagers is alcohol.
You must be 21 to consume or purchase alcohol.
You must be 16 to obtain a drivers license.
The Implied Consent Law states that by getting a license you give a police officer the right to check your blood alcohol level if pull over legally.
A DUI (Driving Under the Influence) can be charged if your blood alcohol level is at or above 0.08 percent.
Refusal to take a blood alcohol test in MS is an admission of guilt.
It is also illegal for a person under the age of 18 to posses or purchase tobacco products.

45. School rights and responsibilities.
Students between the ages of 6 and 21 have the right to free education.
Have the right to express opinions, as long as it does not interrupt the instructional process.
Students have the right to expect their academic information be kept private.
Responsibilities
Must conform to school policy.
Responsible for your own learning.