CHAPTER 12-14: sTATE / LOCAL GOVERNMENT
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NAME
CHAPTER 12
1.
2.
3.
LEVY: to put in place, administer
IMPOSE: to force upon
CONSENT: permission to do something
CHAPTER 13
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
STATUTE: state law
SPECIFIC: an exact part or piece
CONDUCT: to take action, or to do
COMMUTE: governor's ability to shorten a prison sentence for a criminal.
COMPLEX: complicated, with many parts
ENORMOUS: big
ISSUE: topic of concern
CHAPTER 14
1.
COUNTY: smallest division of a state, NC has 100 of these
2.
COUNTY SEAT: the central area of a county, usually the location of the courthouse.
3.
ORDINANCE: local law
4.
INCORPORATE: process by which a locality becomes a town/city
5.
CHARTER: document that allows a locality to government itself
6.
HOME RULE: right for a town/city to makes its own laws
7.
AT-LARGE ELECTION: election in which the entire town/city votes upon
8.
ESTIMATE: to guess
9.
EXPAND: to grow
10. PROFESSIONAL: means you've had training for a job and you're getting paid for
doing that job
11. SPECIAL DISTRICT: a specialized area of government
12. GUIDELINE: something you use or go by in accomplishing a goal
13. BALANCED BUDGET: when expenses are equal to income
14. REVISE: change
15. CONVINCE: to steer someone towards your idea
16. PORTION: a part of
VOCAB REVIEW
1. North Carolina has 100 COUNTIES.
2. In North Carolina, it is against the state law to spit while riding a horse on Sunday.
This is a ORDINANCE.
3. St. Pauls recently held an AT-LARGE ELECTION which everyone in the town voted
on the issue.
4. Before Parkton was allowed to become a town, they had to go through the
process of INCORPORATION.
5. A school board is an area of government that specializes in dealing with school
matters. This is an example of a SPECIAL DISTRICT.
6. The COUNTY SEAT of Robeson County is Lumberton, since it is where the county
courthouse is located at.
7. Since the ones that govern must do so at the permission of the voters, it is said
government operates at the public's CONSENT.
8. Thanks to the new chicken plant locating in St. Pauls, one can expect the town to
eventually EXPAND its budget, or increase over time.
9. It is against the law in St. Pauls to skateboard in several areas of the town. Since
this only applies to St. Pauls, this makes this law an ORDINANCE.
10.One of the fascinating features of the U.S Constitution is the ability for lawmakers
to REVISE it, or change it to keep up with changes in society.
11.The CHARTER of Shannon gives the locality permission to govern itself.
12.Mr. Walters ESTIMATES only 15% of his students legitimately study at home.
Since he lacks physical evidence, this is merely a guess.
CHAPTER 12: NORTH CAROLINA HISTORY
12.1: Colonial Era
1. Since NC citizens didn’t agree with or like their British-appointed governor, they created a
group called the PROVINCIAL CONGRESS which they listened to and respected their laws rather
than the Governor’s. (1774)
2. A group of women in Edenton, NC held a “tea party” where they burned their tea to protest the
TEA ACT (1774)
3. Mecklenburg County, in 1775, grew tired of the British-appointed governor, so they drafted
(wrote) up the MECKLENBURG RESOLVES which declared the Provincial Congress as their sole
governing body (in addition to considering any British-appointed office to be null and void – or
not existing).
4. In 1776, the Provincial Congress declared NC’s independence through the HALIFAX RESOLVES
They were the first colony to break from Great Britain (several months before the official
Declaration of Independence), therefore NC is known for being “first in freedom.”
5. North Carolina was the 12th of 13 colonies to ratify the Constitution. They were hesitant to
support this new government since they felt it lacked the protection for citizens that the state
constitution’s DECLARATION OF RIGHTS provided NC citizens.
12.2: NC Constitution
6. NC’s Constitution has 4 parts:
a. Preamble: introduction
b. Declaration of Rights: basically their “bill of rights” for NC citizens
c. Framework of government (similar to the Articles in the US Constitution, 3 branches, all
similar to the federal branches)
d. Amendment procedure (how they change the document)
7. NC’s Constitution has been changed several times, the major changes being in….
8. 1868: In order to re-enter the union after the Civil War, NC had to ABOLISH slavery in the state
and grant SUFFRAGE (or the right to vote in elections) to all citizens, regardless of race.
9. 1972: Voting age was reduced from 21 to 18
10. 1996: Governor gained the power to VETO bills from the state legislature.
CHAPTER 13: NORTH CAROLINA’S GOVERNMENT
11. JUST LIKE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT – NC has three branches of government: Legislative,
Executive, and Judicial. (If you didn’t learn em’ in 6/7/8 – learn em’ now!)
13.1: NC Legislative Branch
The following is a comparison between the federal and state legislative branches.....
U.S
NC
Congress: makes laws for nation
Two Houses: House of Reps, Senate
Speaker of the House – most powerful
position
435 House of Reps, 100 Senators
GENERAL ASSEMBLY :makes laws for state
Two House, House of Reps, Senate
Same for state
120 House of Reps, 50 Senators
In other words, the General Assembly is the same in nature, except they work for the state.
STATE LAWS ARE CALLED STATUTES
13.2: NC Executive Branch
Just like the Legislative, it’s similar to it’s federal counterpart…. minus name differences.
U.S
President: leader of U.S. Executive Branch
- 4 year terms, max of 2 terms
- approves federal laws
Vice-President: technical leader of Senate
Cabinet is made up of heads of FEDERAL
Executive Departments
435 House of Reps, 100 Senators
NC
GOVERNOR :leader of state Executive Branch
- 4 year-terms, can serve 2 consecutively
before having to sit out a term – but then
can run again
- approves state laws
LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR :tech leader of NC
Senate
Cabinet Is made up of heads of STATE
Executive Departments
120 House of Reps, 50 Senators
There are a couple of notable differences however….
12. Unlike the U.S. President and Vice-President, the GOVERNOR and LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR do
not run together in state elections. They’re elected separately.
13. As you saw in the chart, governors can run again after serving two terms – as long as they sit
out one.
14. Not all state governors are equal in power. Most state governors have the power of LINE-ITEM
VETO veto, which allows them to reject parts of bills they don’t like, while passing the rest. NC’S
GOVERNOR DOES NOT HAVE THIS POWER. Instead their veto is similar to the U.S. President’s –
which is “all or nothing.”
Rest of the NC Executive Branch
15. COUNCIL OF STATE: is an independent group outside of the Governor’s control that are elected
by NC citizens. They each have their own area they’re in charge of.
13.3: NC Judicial Branch
Once again… comparison between federal and state
U.S
Three levels of courts: District, Appeals,
Supreme
Judges serve for life, appointed by
President
NC
Two levels of courts: Trial, Appeals
Judges serve terms – and are elected.
13.3A: NC TRIAL COURTS
16. In North Carolina, all cases must start at the TRIAL level. There are two levels of trial courts:
17. DISTRICT (don’t confuse it with the U.S. level). Cases heard in this court are either:
a. MISDEMEANORS: minor crimes (minor CRIMINAL cases)
b. CIVIL disputes concerning LESS THAN $10,000)
18. SUPERIOR: Where major cases are heard, two categories:
a. FELONIES: serious crimes. (major CRIMINAL cases)
b. CIVIL disputes concerning MORE THAN $10,000)
19. District Court judges serve 2-year terms. Superior Court judges serve 4-year terms.
13.3B: NC APPELLLATE COURTS
20. The NC Appellate Courts has two levels: The NC COURT OF APPEALS and _NC SUPREME COURT.
21. Just like the federal level, they hear appeals from the lower courts (trial).
22. The NC Supreme Court has the power to declare state laws unconstitutional.
23. There are 15 judges on the NC Court of Appeals, 3 are randomly selected to hear appeal cases.
24. There are 7 judges on the NC Supreme Court.
25. Judges on both Appellate levels serve 8-year terms.
CHAPTER 14: LOCAL GOVERNMENT
1. Local government gets their power from the STATE government. (The U.S. Constitution does
not even mention this level!)
Formation of Local Governments
2. The process of a “LOCALITY” becoming an actual city/town/village is called INCORPORATION
3. The first step for INCORPORATION is to apply to the state government for a CHARTER. This
document grants power to that local government and designates whether it’s a CITY, TOWN,
OR VILLAGE.
Basic Local Government
4. Local government has only two branches: LEGISLATIVE and EXECUTIVE
5. Each area has their own form of government, therefore the powers and responsibilities for
each differ from town to town.
6. Local government is divided into two levels: COUNTY and CITY/TOWN
7. LOCAL LAWS ARE CALLED ORDINANCES
County Government
8. The city/town where the county government operates is called the COUNTY SEAT
9. County Commissioners: they are the LEGISLATIVE branch for the county. They pass local
ordinances and have the power to collect local taxes. They are elected.
10. Sheriff’s Office: they are the EXECUTIVE branch for the county. They (the sheriff and their
deputies) are responsible for ENFORCING the laws at the county level. The Sheriff is also
responsible for maintaining the county jail. Sheriff is elected.
11. The DISTRICT ATTORNEY is the chief lawyer for the county. They (along with their staff)
prosecute criminal cases at the local level and represent the county if it is brought to court.
12. PUBLIC DEFENDERS are responsible for defending people in court who cannot afford their own
attorney.
City/Town Government
13. The legislative branch is the CITY/TOWN COUNCIL
14. Each member represents a district and are elected. They have the power to make city/town
laws and collect city/local taxes.
15. The executive branch is the MAYOR They’re responsible for enforcing the laws passed by the
city council.
a. In some cities/towns however, there is a mayor, but they have little to no power.
Enforcing laws in those towns are the job of the TOWN MANAGER who is hired by the
City Council and answers to them.
16. There are three types of city/town government
a. MAYOR-COUNCIL most common form. Depending on how the power is laid out, it can
either be a STRONG-MAYOR SYSTEM (mayor has lots of power) or a WEAK-MAYOR
SYSTEM (council holds most of the power)
b. COUNCIL-MANAGER: See #15/A.
c. COMMISSION: least common form, no city council. People are elected to “lead” over a
certain area. One is picked to be the mayor. Rarely used nowadays since numerous
problems developed with this type. (Disputes among the group, lack of accountability or
who was responsible for what, not knowing their areas, etc)
Other Areas of Local Government
17. SPECIAL DISTRICT: these are areas of government in charge of a particular area. For example,
the most common type is a SCHOOL DISTRICT: which has the power to make rules/policies for
local public schools.
18. LOCAL POLICE have jurisdiction only in that city/town. If a problem arises within their city/town,
they’ll be the first ones on the scene.
Annexation and Zoning
19. Whenever a city/town decides to EXPAND their borders, this is called ANNEXATION.
a. Cities/towns do this to increase their TAX-BASED, which means they can collect more
money.
b. Areas absorbed are either happy about this since they’ll receive city/town services –
while others are upset about this since this means they’ll have to start paying city/town
taxes.
20. ZONING refers to how land is used in a city/town. (Such as, a land zoned residential can only
have residential homes built on it). Laws related to this are called ZONING LAWS
a. Local governments can control the growth of their communities by using this.
b. Usually each local government will have a ZONING BOARD that oversees this process.
You'll get the review tomorrow.
REVIEW QUESTIONS (12-14)
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NAME
CHAPTER 12 – EARLY NC HISTORY
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2.
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6.
In early colonial history, what was the part of the legislature elected by the voters called?
Why was the governor forced to call the House of Burgesses into session at times?
What was the Mecklenburg Declaration (or Mecklenburg Resolves)?
What were the Halifax Resolves?
Why was NC reluctant to ratify the Constitution?
What are the Declaration of Rights in NC’s state constitution?
CHAPTER 13 – NC GOVERNMENT
1. What does “federalism” mean?
2. What powers do the 10th amendment of the US Constitution grant the states?
3. What do we call NC’s legislative branch?
4. How many representatives are in the General Assembly? How many senators?
5. Who is the leader of the state executive branch?
6. In what ways are governors similar to US Presidents? In what ways are they different?
7. Does NC’s governor have line-item veto power?
8. What is the “Council of State?”
9. What are the two levels of courts in NC’s judicial system?
10. What are the two levels of trial courts in NC’s judicial system?
11. What are the two levels of appellate courts in NC’s judicial system?
12. What are the election terms for district court judges? What about everyone else?
CHAPTER 14- LOCAL GOVERNMENT
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5.
Which level of government grants power to local governments?
What is incorporation?
What’s the first step for a locality to incorporate?
What are the three forms of local government? Which is the most common?
If the mayor possesses great power in a Mayor-Council form of local government, what do refer
to this system as?
6. Why is the city manager at the mercy of the city council in a council-manager system?
7. Why is the commission form of local government becoming more and more unpopular?
8. What’s the most common form of special district?
9. What are three local groups that have policy-making power?
10. What’s the largest subdivision of a state? How many are in NC?
11. Who’s in charge of making county policies?
12. Who’s in charge of enforcing laws for the county?
13. What do we call the primary local county prosecutor?
14. What are zoning laws used for?
15. If Parkton decided to increase their borders, what process would they need to undertake?
PROJECT:STATE/LOCAL GOVERNMENT SCAVENGER HUNT
Your objective in this project is merely finding information. As long as you find the information on your own
doing (ie: NOT COPYING SOMEONE'S WORK), you get full credit. You can check the internet, ask your parents or
other adults, or even ask your classmates...
Now, just find the following...
1. Who is the current District Attorney for Robeson County?
2. Who is the current mayor of St. Pauls?
3. Who is the current mayor of Rennert?
4. Who is the current mayor of Parkton?
5. Who is the current mayor of Shannon?
6. Who currently sits on the Robeson County Board of Commissioners?
7. Who currently sits on the Public Schools of Robeson County School Board?
8. Who is the current sheriff of Robeson County?
9. Who is the governor of NC?
10. Who is the Lieutenant-Governor of NC?
11. Who is the representative in the NC House of Representatives for this area?
(hint: this is District 47)
12. Who is the representative in the NC Senate for this area?
(hint: this is District 13)
13. Who are the current town commissioners of St. Pauls?
This is due FRIDAY MARCH 20.