Virginia State Government

Branches

• Executive Branch• Judicial Branch• Legislative Branch• Independent Agencies• Constitutional Officers• Understanding Your Government• Office of the Governor• Office of the Attorney General• Office of the Lieutenant Government

Bill of Rights

• Section 1: Equality and the rights of men• Section 2: People the source of power• Section 3: Government instituted for common benefit• Section 4: No exclusive emoluments or privileges; offices not

to be hereditary• Section 5: Separation of legislative, executive, and judicial

departments; periodical elections • Section 6: Free elections; consent of government• Section 7: Laws should not be suspended• Section 8: Rights of the victims of crime• Section 9: Prohibition of excessive bail and fines, cruel and

unusual punishment, suspension of Habeas Corpus, Bill of attainder, and ex post facto laws

• Section 10: General warrants of search or seizure prohibited

All States

• Each state has its own constitution based on its own history, needs, philosophy, and geography.

• A state's constitution is similar to the national Constitution; however, the laws made in individual states cannot conflict with the national Constitution or national laws.

• Each state's constitution separates power between three branches: legislative, judicial, and executive. In most states, the legislative branch contains two houses .

• Instead of a president, each state elects a governor.

Virginia Courts

• Supreme court- Court of last resort• Court of Appeals- Intermediate appellate court• Circuit Courts- Jurisdiction trial court• General District Courts- Minor civil, criminal,

and traffic cases.• Juvenile and domestic relations district courts-

Limited jurisdiction trial court hearing, family, and juvenile cases

Political Subdivisions

• Independent Cities• Counties• Towns• School Divisions- Under a jurisdiction of a school board

Minor Districts

• Magisterial Districts• Election Districts• Wards• Boroughs

Virginia Plan

• A proposal by Virginia delegates, drafted by James Madison, it se the overall agenda for debate in the convention and set forth the idea of population. Weighted representation in the National Legislature. States with a large population, like Virginia, would have more representatives than smaller states. It called for the National government to have three branches; Legislative, Executive, and Judicial.

Differences

National• Print money• Regulate interstate(between

states) and international trade• Make treaties and conduct foreign

policy• Declare war• Provide an Army and Navy• Establish post offices• Make laws necessary and proper

to carry out these powers

State• Issue license• Regulate intrastate(between

states) businesses• Conduct elections• Establish local governments• Ratify amendments to the

Constitution• Take measures for public health

and safety• May exert powers the Constitution

does not delegate to the national government or prohibit the states from using

Vocabulary!!

• Amendatory or conditional veto - the power to send a bill back to the legislature with suggested changes.

• Casework - taking care of constituents' problems; "errand-running" for particular individuals. • Express powers - powers which are directly specified in the Constitution. • federal - a system in which the states and national government share responsibilities. When

people talk about the federal government, they generally mean the national government, although the term often refers to the division of powers between the state and national governments.

• Formula grants - grants given to anyone who meets certain guidelines (grants such as those for school lunches, airports or highways).

• Implied powers - powers which are not explicitly stated in the constitution, but which are implied through the "necessary and proper" clause in Article I, Section 8.

• Inherent powers - powers which the national government naturally has to represent the country in relations with other countries.

• Line-item veto - the power of a governor to veto particular lines (items) in budget appropriations bills.

• Mandate - a requirement set by the national government to force states to perform a particular action.