North Carolina State Government

OCS Social Studies IMrs. Bonifay

NC Government Overview

North Carolina has three branches of government, just like the US Federal government:

1. Legislative Branch 2. Executive Branch 3. Judicial Branch

The Legislative Branch

The legislative branch of the North Carolina government is called the General Assembly.

The General Assembly makes general and local laws that promote the best interests of the state, and establishes rules and regulations governing the conduct of North Carolina citizens.

The NC General Assembly North Carolina has a bicameral legislature.

Bicameral means “two houses”—the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The legislature meets annually (yearly). The “long session” takes place in odd numbered years (2011, 2013, etc.); the “short session” takes place in even numbered years (2010, 2012, etc.). The Governor may call a “Special Session,” if needed.

The NC Senate

The Senate has 50 members. Elections for all senate seats are held

every 2 years. The Lieutenant Governor is the

President of the Senate. He/She casts the deciding vote in case of a tie.

The NC House of Representatives

The House of Representatives has 120 members.

Elections are held every 2 years for all 120 House seats.

The Speaker of the House presides over the business of the House.

The Speaker appoints the members of standing committees.

Making Laws

Much of the work of the General Assembly is done by the standing committees in both the Senate and the House.

The House and the Senate debate and pass laws.

The Governor can sign or veto these laws.

The Executive Branch The Executive Branch in North Carolina is

made up of 19 executive departments plus the Offices of the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor.

The Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, and eight of the department heads are elected every four years.

The Executive Organization Acts of 1971 and 1973 grouped all the agencies of the Executive Branch into 17 departments.

The Executive Branch: Departments The eight department heads who are

elected are as follows: Agriculture Public Instruction Insurance Secretary of State Justice State Treasurer Labor State Auditor In 1981, the NC Community College System

became the 18th executive department. The president of this department answers to the State Board of Community Colleges.

The Executive Branch: Departments

The other ten department heads are appointed by the Governor. They are:

Administration Revenue Commerce Transportation Correction Cultural Resources Crime Control & Public Safety Health and Human Services Environment and Natural Resources Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

The Judicial Branch The North Carolina Judicial Branch

consists of: The NC Supreme Court The NC Court of Appeals The NC Superior Courts The NC District Courts The Administrative Office of the Courts

The NC Supreme Court The Supreme Court is the state’s

highest court. The Supreme Court has a chief justice

and 6 associates justices. They are elected to eight year terms. They mostly deal with questions of

constitutional law, legal questions with major significance, and death penalty appeals.

The NC Court of Appeals This court was created in 1967. There are 15 justices on the Court of

Appeals. These justices are elected to eight-year

terms. The Chief Justice for the Court of Appeals is

appointed by the Chief Justice of the NC Supreme Court.

Cases are heard by a panel of three judges.

The NC Superior Court The NC Superior Court is divided into 8

divisions and 46 districts across NC. Judges are elected to 8 year terms and

rotate every 6 months between the districts within their division.

The Superior Courts hear felony criminal cases, civil cases involving more than $10,000, and appeal from District Courts.

A jury of 12 hear criminal cases in Superior Court.

The NC District Courts The District Courts handle the vast majority

of trial level cases. This court hears civil cases involving less

than $10,000, misdemeanors, probable cause hearings, juvenile proceedings, mental health commitments, and domestic relations cases.

As of 2006, NC had 41 district court districts with 239 district judges. District judges are elected to 4 year terms.

Administrative Office of the Courts

This office oversees ALL North Carolina Courts.

The AOC supports the courts through technology, personnel, financial, legal research, and purchasing services.

The AOC prepares and administers the court system’s budget.

The AOC currently employs more than 400 people.

North Carolina State Govenment

All three branches of the North Carolina Government are outlined in the North Carolina State Constitution.

The main areas addressed for each branch are: power, qualifications, duties, and Constitutional basis.

Class Discussion

What are some ways in which the North Carolina government and the United States government are alike?

What are some ways the two are different?

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