Vocabulary Unicameral – one house – legislative branch Bicameral – two houses – legislative branch Segregation – separation of races. In NC, this deals.

VocabularyUnicameral – one house – legislative branchBicameral – two houses – legislative branchSegregation – separation of races. In NC, this deals mostly

with blacks and whites after the Civil War to the 1960s. Census – official population account to show population

shiftsCommute – reduce a sentence. A power of the NC

governorOrdinances – local lawsIncorporate – to receive a state charter, officially

recognizing the government of the locality. Municipality – either a city, town, or village in NCCharter – basic rules for a municipalityAnnexation – process of bringing unincorporated land into

a municipality.

North Carolina History“First in Freedom”

First Provincial Congress (August 1774) – elected people to the Continental Congress

Mecklenburg Declaration (May 1775) – citizens of Mecklenburg County stated that the only lawful government was the provincial government, not the British.

Halifax Resolves (April 12, 1776) – NC was the first state to call for complete independence from Britain.

Sent 3 delegates to the 2nd Continental Congress Did not ratify Constitution until 1789 when Bill of

Right added

North Carolina History cont. Three Constitutions in NC’s history

Very small number compared to other states1st – Constitution of 1776

Very similar to the US Constitution1835 Changes

Voters now allowed to elect governor, approve or reject constitutional amendments

Took away rights of free men of African and Indian decent 2nd – Constitution of 1868

All Confederate states had to create new Constitution after Civil War

Slavery abolished, all men over 21 could vote3rd – Constitution of 1971

All elections free, freedom of speech, equal protection of laws

Suffrage in North CarolinaAfter Civil War, next 2 decades African

Americans got to vote.Hiram Revels – 1st African American to vote

By 1900, General Assembly set up discrimination test to keep minorities (Blacks and Indians) from voting

Women fought for suffrage (voting) in NC, but to no success until the 19th amendment in 1920

Voting Requirements: Citizen18 years old by the next General Election Lived in voting precinct for 30 daysNot serving felony sentence Registered to vote

Legislative BranchThe Legislative Branch of North Carolina’s

state government is called the General Assembly

Makes two types of laws:Statues – apply to everyone in the stateLocal or Specific laws – just to certain areas in

the stateMajor power deals with finances. How much

to spend and how much to tax?Legislative Oversight – review of government

operations

Organization of General AssemblyOther PowerPoint

Executive Branch of North Carolina State Government4 year terms, 2 consecutive – can come back

for another 2 after a 4 yearMust be 30 years old, US citizen for 5 years,

lived in NC for 2 yearsLt. Governor elected also. Must meet

governor qualifications. Head of the NC Senate.

Council of the State – 8 state agencies, people elected to these 4 year positions, ulimited

Offices of the Council -

GovernorBev Perdue

Lieutenant GovernorWalter H.

Dalton

State Treasurer

Commissioner of Insurance

Superintendent of Public

Instruction

Secretary of State

Attorney General

Comm. Of Agriculture

State Auditor

Secretary of Labor

Elected Officials

Judicial Branch of NCOther PowerPoint

Iredell County Budget2010-2011 Revenue/Budget = 150,307,275

Schools = 66,720,210 (44 %)Social Services = 25,376,215 (17%)Tax rate – 44 cents per $100 value

Chicago = $1.68 per $100 value Bridgeport, Conn. = $4.55

Iredell County Budget

Iredell County Budget

City of MooresvilleTax rate = .58 per $100Council-Manager type of government

Voting Districts

State GovernmentEach state has its own constitution.All states have three branches of

government.Voters ratify amendments in all states

except for Delaware.All states have bicameral legislatures

except for Nebraska.Each state must accept the validity of all

other state laws and contracts (Full faith and Credit).

Extradition: Governor orders a suspect to be returned to the state where the crime was committed.

Executive BranchLed by a governor.In most states a person must be 30 years old,

US citizen, and a resident of the state for five years.

Serve a four year term.Recall: An election where voters can remove

state officials.Lieutenant Governor: Takes over for the

governor and is head of the state senate.

Powers of the GovernorChief Executive, Chief Legislator, Judicial

Leader, Commander in Chief, Party leader, Ceremonial leader.

As judicial leader a governor can:Commute: Reduce a sentence.Parole: Early release from prison.Can offer pardons and reprieves.

Executive OfficialsMost officials are elected by voters. There are many different departments led by

a secretary.

Legislative BranchState is divided into districts.Reynolds vs. Sims (1964): All election

districts must be equal in population. “Each person one vote”.

Apportionment: Distribution of seats according to population.

Legislators must be US citizens, live in the district, and meet an age requirement. Fairly low pay.

Legislative process is the same as the national level.

Judicial BranchMisdemeanors: Minor crimes handled by

lower courts.Felonies: Serious crimes handled by

higher courts.Trial courts: Use juries. Judge decides

punishment.Appellate courts: Panel of judges.

Appellate jurisdiction.State Supreme Court: Highest level.Plea Bargain: Defendant pleads guilty for

a reduced sentence.

County GovernmentLocal governments are established by state

governments.Charter: Plan that explains the power of a local

government.All counties provide services for their citizens.County board has legislative powers.Ordinance: Law passed by a county board.Provide law enforcement, set up hospitals, improve

transportation, and set up public libraries.Collect revenue through property tax and sales

tax.Have executive power to enforce laws (Inspectors).

County OfficialsSheriff: Law enforcement. Keeps peace and

manages the jail.District attorney: Investigates crime and

prosecutes in court.Coroner: Establishes the cause of death.County clerk: Keeps official records.Assessor: Determines the value of property

for tax purposes.

Town GovernmentsSome counties are divided into towns.In the northeast, town government is

more important than county.Town govt. began in New England as a

form of direct democracy.Other northern states divided into smaller

units called townships.In the Midwest, townships were

established during expansion by Congress.

Village GovernmentSmallest unit of local government.A group must get permission from the state.Villages have a board and an executive

elected by the voters.

Special DistrictsProvides a solution for a single issue or

provide a service.An elected board runs the district.User fees: Rates paid for services.

City GovernmentMust get a charter from the state

government.Home rule: Allows cities to write their own

charters.Crime, medical problems, drug abuse, and

homelessness are problems.Ward: Voting district in a city.

Mayor-Council GovernmentSeparate legislative (city council) and

executive (mayor) branches.There are strong and weak mayor plans.

City Council – City ManagerVoters elect a city council.City manager runs the city. Appointed by the

city council.

Commission GovernmentBegan in Galveston, Texas in 1901 after a

natural disaster.Separate departments led by a commissioner.

The commission has executive and legislative powers.

Community ProblemsPublic Policy: Decision that effect people.

They can come from lawmakers, citizens, interest groups, and the media.

Must plan for the future. Involves educated guessing.

Short term: Decisions effecting the next few years.

Long term: Decisions effecting the next fifty years.

Must have priorities and evaluate resources.Communities develop a master plan of goals.

ZoningA zoning board decides what land will be

used for.Different zones for residential, business, and

public land.Provides a map for the community.

FinancingTaxes: Sales, property and income.User fees: Fares paid for the use of services.Bond: Borrow the money and pay it back

later.

Education and HousingEducation is the most expensive service

provided by state and local governments.Magnet school: Students focus on a

particular field of study.Vouchers: Help parents send children to

private schools.Urban renewal: Re-building old

neighborhoods.The government provides low income

housing.

Shortages and PollutionMany places have shortages on power and

water.Conservation: Using less of our resources.Disposing of garbage is a problem (landfills).Recycling: Using old materials to produce

new ones.

FederalismNational government shares power with

the states.This gives Americans freedom to provide

for their own needs.The main reason is sectional differences.Types of Power:

Enumerated: Powers given to the national government. Can be expressed or implied (Elastic clause).

Reserved: Powers given to the state governments.

Concurrent: Powers shared between national and state.

Federal Aid to the StatesSpending is roughly related to population of

the state (from census numbers)Additional demographic questions to find out

where children are located (education), minorities (grants for minorities), and population density (highways)

New FederalismRecently shift of some programs/authority for

decision-making on the implementation of the programs back to the state and local governments.

Started with President Nixon and continued with President Reagan

Types of AidCategorical Grants – funds for some specific

closely defined purpose. Like money for school lunchesUsually have strings attached

Block Grants – funds for much more broadly defined purposesFewer strings attached, more freedom for state/local to

decide how to spend moneyProject Grants – funds for specific organizations

or governmental bodies For research, job training programs, etc.

Fiscal FederalismMost interactions between national and state

government involve monetary considerations Fiscal FederalismCarrot and Stick ApproachUnfunded MandatesCoercive Federalism

South Dakota v. Dole

Understanding FederalismAdvantages for Democracy

Increases access to governmentLocal problems can be solved locallyHard for political parties or interest

groups to dominate all politics

Disadvantages for DemocracyStates have

different levels of service

Local interest can counteract national interests

Too many levels of government and too much money

Understanding Federalism cont.Federalism and the Scope of GovernmentWhat should the scope of national

government be relative to the states?National power increased with

industrialization, expansion of individual rights, and social services

Most problems require resources afforded to the national, not state governments

Summary of FederalismFederalism is a governmental system in

which power is shared between central government and the 50 state governments.

The US has moved from dual to cooperative federalism; fiscal federalism to new federalism.

Federalism leads to both advantages and disadvantages to democracy.

Most interactions today have a monetary component.

There are still struggles and conflicts over power sharing in this relationship.

Rate Each Local AgencyWith 1 being the highest and 9 the lowest

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