| A | B |
|---|
| Strong mayor-council system | Most common in large cities; has a lot of power, including power to veto |
| Weak mayor-council system | Council appoints departments; mayor only presides over council meetings and votes in case of a tie |
| Council-manager system | There is no mayor, just a city manager who is appointed by the council; manager recommends budget, oversses city departments; manager is a professional, usually has a degree in city planning; manager executes the council's plans and ordinances |
| Commission form | 5 commissioners, each held a department; select a mayor who is mostly ceremonial; make ordinances and decisions as a board; commissioners are like legislators and executives |
| General Assembly | Legislative branch of the NC government; powers: pass laws (statuetes) for NC and examines government operations(legislative oversight)/ organization of general assembly = BICAMERAL: senate and House of Represetatives (senate = 50, house = house); members of each house are elected from districts- 2 year terms (no limit to number of terms); leadership in House: speaker of House presides and makes key appointments; leadership in senate: president pro temp leads and makes key appointments. = in both houses, appointments to committees usually given to senior members of majority party |
| Municipality | States have the right to set up smaller governments MUNICIPALITIES to provide services to citizens (es: police, fire, trash, water, electricity and also create smaller districts for specific needs like schools) |
| County Commissioners | AKLJFLASJDKLA |
| Lieutenant Govenor | Like VP; second in command to Governor; leader of State Senate (only votes in case of a tie) |
| Justice Court | In judicial branch in NC; states handle most of the nation's legal matters. State Lower Court System = In rural areas and small towns; called a JUSTICE COURT and the judge is called a justice of the peace; handle less serious crimes: misdemeanors. no juries. Judge hears and decides case |
| Municipal Court | Large cities have municipal courts: usually divided into specialized areas such as traffic, juvenile, small claims; small claims courts decide civil cases involving small amounts of dollars - defendants speak for themselves |
| Statutes | Laws passed for NC |
| NC Supreme Court | 7 justices (one is Chief Justice) Voters elect justices in statewide elections for 8-year terms. decide which cases being appealed to hear (others heard by appeal courts). Hears all death sentence appeals. Majority must agree in order to reach a decision. Unless there is an issue involving the U.S. Constitution, the state supreme court decision is final |
| Governor | Roles: (like the Pres) Chief of state; acts as symbolic leader of NC (deals with other states and federal governments); Chief Executive (Ensures state policies are carried out). Duties: appoints many key state officials, coordinates the work of most state agencies; proposes the state budget; pardons convicts on death row, and commutes (reduces) sentences of other convicts; political leader for his/her party; can veto Bills (line item veto: remove certain parts of legislation) |
| Bicameral | Senate and House of Representatives; senate = 50, house = 120 |
| What is the difference between a county, city, village, and municipality? | county = usually the largest divisions of territory in the state. 3-5 commisioners. sometimes a county manager = executive. have a county seat, in middle of county (where courthouse is located)/ city: can be small or large (l= city council or commission) ( executive= mayor or manager). a metropolitan area includes a city and all the sources around it/ village (town???) = smaller divisions of a county, often a small city. ex: chapel hill (l = town board or council with town hall meetings) (executive = mayor or town manager). Originally found in New England. / municipalities = smaller governments that states have the right to set up smaller governments to provide services to citizens |
| What do local governments spend most of their money on? Where do they get most of their revenue? | LKJAKLDJALkJd |
| What types of services do state and local governments provide? | KLJDSLKFJDLSK |
| How do decisions of county commissioners affect local government? | DJKJFDLJFLL |
| How are state consitutions similar to the US constitution? How are they different | AJKLSDLASDJlkAS |
| How is the NC constitution unique? Why was it last amended? | The royal governors in the colony of NC had supreme authority/power over the colonial legislature. NC was first colony to declare independence. Because royal governors had been so strict the executive branch was given very little power. Governor did not have power to veto until 1996- was last state; the legislature can override it with a 60% veto ( a little less than the national) NC does not have "line item veto" |
| What are the different levels of courts in NC? What cases do they handle? | Superior courts (NC has 8 judicial divisions for superior courts, often have jury trials, handle civil cases more than $10,000 and felonies, voters elect jusdges for 8-year terms, judges travel throughout division) Appellate Courts )Legal parties have a right to appeal the decision of a trial court. Common reasons for appeal are: 1. Prodecual error. 2. Invalid or unconstitutional law. 3. Incorrect legal reasoning.) NC Courts of Appeal (Hear most cases appealed from trial courts; hear cases in groups of 3, called panels-at least 2 of 3 must agree) NC Supreme court (7 justices (one is Chief Justice) Voters elect justices in statewide elections for 8-year terms. decide which cases being appealed to hear (others heard by appeal courts). Hears all death sentence appeals. Majority must agree in order to reach a decision. Unless there is an issue involving the U.S. Constitution, the state supreme court decision is final) |
