North Carolina State Government

Three Branches of Government

Legislative Branch Executive Branch Judicial Branch

(Legislative building) (Capitol Building) (Justice Building)
Makes laws Executes laws
Interprets Laws
Legislative Branch of State Government
NC General Assembly, or Legislature modeled after US
Congress
Made up of a House of Representatives and a Senate, with
members being popularly elected
HOR has 120 members and must be a citizen at least 21 years
old and have lived in their district a year before election
Senate has 50 members elected from districts and must be at
least 25 years old, have been a citizen living in North Carolina
for at least two years, and have lived in the district at least
one year before election.
Legislative Branch of State Government
General Assembly enacts
bills called general
statutes
Bills can be introduced in
both houses, both
presiding officers in each
house must sign bills
before they are
presented to the
governor, governor signs
bill it becomes a law
Legislative Branch of State Government
Other powers given to the
General Assembly
Legislative oversights:
examines government
operations, allowing
legislators to view current
laws in practice and evaluate
their effectiveness
Elects members of the
University of North Carolina
Board of Governors
Impeachment of North
Carolina officials
Legislative Branch of State Government
Who runs the Senate?
The Lieutenant Governor of NC serves as President of the NC Senate, but
does not vote unless the Senate is equally divided.
The Senate elects a President Pro Tempore who stands in and becomes
President if necessary.
Who runs the House of Representatives?
The House elects a Speaker of the House who presides over the House of
Representatives.
What are the Committees?
At the beginning of each legislative session, the leaders of the House and
the Senate appoint Committees and Committee Chairs.
Committees review legislative proposals and hold hearings on legislative
proposals
Committee Chairs push legislation they favor and can prevent their
committee from viewing other possible legislation, which they may oppose.
Executive Branch of State Gov.
1. Governor: chief executive of NC
NC elects a Governor for a four-year term,
and limits the Governor to two consecutive
terms.
He execute the laws passed by the General
Assembly
He appoints key state officials and works
with state agencies in addition to proposing
and administering the state budget.
The Governor can grant clemency, or
forgiveness for crimes and has sole authority
in this process.
The Governor can veto legislation passed by Current NC Governor:
the General Assembly. Roy Cooper
 State Budget Finances
The Governor always recommends a budget; the budget as enacted by the
General Assembly shall be administered by the Governor.
Sources of Revenue ($ coming in)
Intergovernmental Revenue: money that states receive from the federal
government
Sales Tax: general tax levied on all purchases
Individual Income Tax: workers pay state income taxes as well as federal income
taxes
Employee Retirement Contributions: contributions that state government workers
make into their retirement funds, the money is invested until retirement
Expenditures ($ spent)
Entitlement Programs, Public Welfare
Hospitals, Highways, Prisons
Interest on debt, Unemployment compensation
Employee retirement
Higher Education
 Executive Branch of State
Government
2. Lieutenant Governor
North Carolina elects a Lieutenant
Governor for a four-year term.
The Lt. Governor succeeds the
Governor if necessary.
The Lt. Governor presides as
President of the Senate.
This individual may or may not work
closely with the Governor.

Current Lieutenant Governor:

Dan Forest
 Executive Branch of State Government
3. Council of State: composed of the Governor, the Lt. Governor, and 8 other individuals
picked by voters (ELECTED to 4 year terms!!)
Attorney General: Oversees the Department of Justice, which provides legal advice
and representation to state government departments and agencies, protects consumers,
and runs the State Bureau of Investigation
Commissioner of Agriculture: Oversees agricultural research and the safety of
agricultural products
Commissioner of Insurance: Regulates the states insurance companies
Commissioner of Labor: Regulates worker safety and employment
Secretary of State: Facilitates the states business activities and manages the states
official records
Superintendent of Public Instruction: Oversees NCs public school system
State Auditor: Reviews (audits) the performance of other state dept.
State Treasurer: Manages NCs money
. All serve four-year terms and appoint staff within their own agencies.
. Each of these individuals acts under policies and procedures decided by
the General Assembly and decides how to carry out these practices.
. The Council of State acts independently.
 Executive Branch of State Government
4. Governors Cabinet: 10 people appointed by the Governor, help to oversee the executive
departments (APPOINTED!!)
Department of Administration: Helps oversee other state agencies
Department of Commerce: Oversees programs that aid NCs economic growth
Department of Corrections: Oversees NCs prison system
Department of Crime Control and Public Safety: Oversees Emergency Management and the
State Highway Patrol
Department of Cultural Resources: Promotes historical preservation and its arts
Department of Environment and Natural Resources: Protects NCs natural resources and parks
Department of Health and Human Services: Includes nearly 20 agencies, including public
health, mental health, and social services
Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention: Attempts to prevent delinquency
and deals with juvenile delinquents
Department of Revenue: Collects taxes
Department of Transportation: Constructs and maintains a statewide transportation system
that includes highways, ferries and airports, and it licenses the vehicles and the drivers that
drive in North Carolina at the Department of Motor Vehicles
North Carolina Community College System is an executive department. The president of the community
college system serves at the pleasure of the State Board of Community Colleges and is not
appointed by the governor.