Splash Screen

Chapter Intro 2

Section 1: The Legislative Branch

The constitution gives the legislative branch the power to make laws. State governments, which generally mirror the federal government in organization, address problems closer to citizens.

Chapter Intro 2

Section 2: The Executive Branch

The constitution gives the executive branch the power to executive, or implement, the law. Like the president on the national level, governors are the chief executives of the states.

Chapter Intro 2

Section 3: The Judicial Branch

The judicial branch is charged with interpreting the law. Different levels of state courts administer justice.

Chapter Preview-End

Section 1-Main Idea

Guide to Reading

Big Idea

The constitution gives the legislative branch the power to make laws.

Section 1

North Carolinians and the Legislature

The North Carolina General Assembly passes the laws that govern the state.

Section 1

North Carolinians and the Legislature(cont.)

• The General Assembly:

– Historically, the “voice of the people”

– Lillian Exum Clement (elected in 1920), first women to serve

Section 1

North Carolinians and the Legislature(cont.)

– Henry Frye (elected in 1968), first African American to serve in the twentieth-century

– 170 members, 16% of which were African American in the 2005–2006 session

Division of Powers

Section 1

North Carolinians and the Legislature(cont.)

• Powers of the General Assembly:

– Pass general statutes that apply statewide

– Enact laws that only apply to specific counties or cities

– Examine government operations

Section 1

North Carolinians and the Legislature(cont.)

– Elect members of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors and state community college system

– Impeach and try members of the Council of State and judges

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Section 1

Organization of the General Assembly

The North Carolina General Assembly consists of the senate and the house of representatives.

Section 1

Organization of the General Assembly(cont.)

• The General Assembly consists of:

– The senate (50 members)

– The house of representatives (120 members)

Section 1

Organization of the General Assembly(cont.)

• Elections of the General Assembly:

– Districts have relatively equal populations

– Districts are drawn after each national census

– 120 house districts

– 50 senate districts; some are combined and the voters elect two senators

Section 1

Organization of the General Assembly(cont.)

• Qualifications for election to the General Assembly:

– House of representatives: at least 21 years old, lived in the district a year before the election

– Senate: at least 25 years old, lived in the district a year before the election

Section 1

Organization of the General Assembly(cont.)

• General Assembly leadership:

– Speaker of the House

– President of the senate (lieutenant governor)

– President pro tempore of the senate

Section 1

Organization of the General Assembly(cont.)

• Legislative sessions:

– Odd-numbered years, “long-session” (January through June)

– Even-numbered years, “short-session” (May through June)

– Special sessions

Section 1

Organization of the General Assembly(cont.)

• Key legislation:

– State lottery (2005)

– New minimum wage (2006)

– Ethics and campaign reform

– Redistricting

Section 1-End

Section 2-Main Idea

Guide to Reading

Big Idea

The constitution gives the executive branch the power to execute, or implement, the law.

Section 2

North Carolina’s Governor

Governors are the chief executives in all state governments.

Section 2

North Carolina’s Governor (cont.)

• The governor of North Carolina:

– Is the chief of state and chief executive

– Appoints many key state officials

– Coordinates the work of state agencies

– Administers the state budget

– Proposes a state budget and legislation

Section 2

North Carolina’s Governor (cont.)

– May grant pardons or commute a criminal’s sentence

– Serves a four year term

– Limited to two consecutive terms

– Must be at least 30 years old, a U.S. citizen for five years, and a resident of North Carolina for two years prior to the election

Section 2

North Carolina’s Governor (cont.)

• The lieutenant governor:

– Automatically succeeds the governor if the governor’s office becomes vacant

– Serves as president of the state senate

– May or may not work closely with the governor

Section 2

North Carolina’s Governor (cont.)

– Elected separately from the governor for a four-year term

– Must be at least 30 years old, a U.S. citizen for five years, and a resident of North Carolina for two years prior to the election

Powers and Duties of Governor

Section 2

Other Executive Officers

Executive agencies help carry out North Carolina state policies.

Section 2

Other Executive Officers (cont.)

• The cabinet includes the governor-appointed heads of the following departments:

– Administration

– Corrections

– Revenue

– Transportation

– Crime Control and Public Safety

Section 2

Other Executive Officers (cont.)

– Commerce

– Environment and Natural Resources

– Cultural Resources

– Health and Human Services

– Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Protection

Section 2

Other Executive Officers (cont.)

• The members of the Council of State are directly elected and include:

– Commissioner of Agriculture

– State Treasurer

– Secretary of State

– Superintendent of Public Instruction

Section 2

Other Executive Officers (cont.)

– Attorney General

– Secretary of Labor

– Commissioner of Insurance

– State Auditor

Section 2

Other Executive Officers (cont.)

• Each member of the Council of State is elected to a four-year term with no term limits.

• Each of the eight departments under the Council of State operates independently of the governor.

Section 3-Main Idea

Guide to Reading

Big Idea

The judicial branch is charged with interpreting the law.

Section 3

North Carolina’s Court System

Different levels of state courts administer justice.

Section 3

North Carolina’s Court System (cont.)

• Types of trial courts:

– District courts

– Superior courts

Section 3

North Carolina’s Court System (cont.)

• District courts have no jury and handle:

– Juvenile and family law

– Mental hospital commitments

– Traffic violations

– Civil cases involving less than $10,000

Section 3

North Carolina’s Court System (cont.)

– Misdemeanors

– Initial hearing of felony cases

• District court judges are elected for four-year terms and must live in the district they serve.

Section 3

North Carolina’s Court System (cont.)

• Superior courts involve juries and handle:

– Civil cases involving more than $10,000

– Felonies

– Cases in which defendants are found guilty of misdemeanors in district court and request a new trial by jury

Section 3

North Carolina’s Court System (cont.)

• Superior court judges are elected from districts for eight-year terms.

• The governor appoints about 15 additional special superior court judges who serve as needed.

Juvenile Justice System

Section 3

Appellate Courts

Sometimes the decision of a general trial court may be appealed to an appellate court.

Section 3

Appellate Courts (cont.)

• North Carolina appellate courts include:

– North Carolina Court of Appeals

– North Carolina Supreme Court

Section 3

Appellate Courts (cont.)

• The North Carolina Court of Appeals:

– 15 appeals court judges are elected state-wide for eight-year terms

– Hears most cases appealed from state’s trial courts

– Panels of three judges hear cases

– Majority must agree for a decision

Section 3

Appellate Courts (cont.)

• The North Carolina Supreme Court

– Comprised of the chief justice and six associate judges

– Elected for eight-year terms

– Supervises all other courts in North Carolina

– Final level of state appeals

Section 3

Appellate Courts (cont.)

– Interprets the state’s constitution and laws

– Hears appeals of all death sentences

– Majority must agree for a decision

– Can only be overruled by the U.S. Supreme Court

Section 3

Landmark Court Decisions

Some court decisions establish precedents that significantly change the interpretation of the law.

Section 3

Landmark Court Decisions (cont.)

• Bayard v. Singleton (1787)

– First case in which a state court declared a state law unconstitutional

– Introduced judicial review

Section 3

Landmark Court Decisions (cont.)

• State v. Mann (1830)

– Defended the legality of slavery

– Used as an example of the South protecting slavery by author Harriet Beecher Stowe

Section 3

Landmark Court Decisions (cont.)

• The Leandro Case

– The state constitution does not require equal funding of education

Section 3

Landmark Court Decisions (cont.)

• Hoke v. State

– Led to new programs and funding streams

Section 3-End

VS 1

VS 2

VS 3

VS-End

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

TIME Trans

DFS Trans 1

DFS Trans 2

The president of the United States is a national leader.

DFS Trans 3

Vocab1

statute

a law written by a legislative branch

Vocab2

census

a population count taken by the Census Bureau

Vocab3

specific

clearly specified, precise, or explicit

Vocab4

commute

to reduce a criminal’s sentence

Vocab5

parole

to grant a prisoner an early release from prison, with certain restrictions

Vocab6

complex

complicated or intricate

Vocab7

enormous

very large

Vocab8

civil case

person or group taking legal action against another person or group

Vocab9

misdemeanor

a relatively minor offense such as vandalism or stealing inexpensive items

Vocab10

defendant

an individual or group being sued or charged with a crime

Vocab11

issue

a matter of debate or dispute

Help

Click the Forward button to go to the next slide.

Click the Previous button to return to the previous slide.

Click the Home button to return to the Chapter Menu.

Click the Transparency button from the Chapter Menu or Chapter Introduction slides to access the TIME Transparency that is relevant to this chapter. From within a section, click on this button to access the relevant Daily Focus Skills Transparency.

Click the Return button in a feature to return to the main presentation.

Click the Economics Online button to access online textbook features.

Click the Reference Atlas button to access the Interactive Reference Atlas.

Click the Exit button or press the Escape key [Esc] to end the chapter slide show.

Click the Help button to access this screen.

Links to Presentation Plus! features such as Graphs in Motion, Charts in Motion, and figures from your textbook are located at the bottom of relevant screens.

To use this Presentation Plus! product:

End of Custom Shows

This slide is intentionally blank.