| A | B |
|---|
| Attorney General | in Virginia, an elected official who is the state's official lawyer. The Attorney General serves a four year term, and is in the executive branch. |
| Bicameral | a legislature has two houses. Example: The General Assembly has a House of Delegates and a Virginia Senate. Proposed laws (called bills) must pass both houses to actually become a law. |
| Biennial budget | a budget (spending plan) that is written to cover a two year eriod of time. |
| Bill | in the lawmaking process, a proposed law in written form, ready for discussion and a vote. |
| Board of Supervisors | the elected lawmaking body found in counties in Virginia. |
| Cabinet | in Virginia, the group of top-level officials that advise the governor. They also help administer many of the large stte agencies. Cabinet members are appointed by the Governers. |
| Charter | a government document that grants official permission |
| City Council | the elected lawmaking body found in cities in VA. |
| Executive Branch | the branch of governement that executes (carries out) laws made by the legislative branch. At the state level, the executive branch is headed by the Governer. |
| Federal form of government | a government system that divides powers between a national (federal) level of governement and the state level. It is also called federalism. |
| Federal Mandates | laws passed by Congress that require states to take the specified actions. In many cases, however, Congress does not provide the funding (money) to pay the cost of the action. |
| General Assembly | in Virginia, the lawmaking branch of the state government. It consists of the House of Delegates, and the Virginia Senate. It meets at the State Capital building in Richmond. |
| Govenor | the head of the executive branch of government at the state level. In Virginia the Govenor is elected to a four year term. |
| House of Delegates | the larger of the two houses that make up the General Assembly in Virginia. It has 100 elected members. |
| Interest groups | organizations created to press for laws and policies their members favor. Example: The Virginia Nurses Association |
| Judicial Branch | the branch of government that includes the court system. |
| Legislation/Legislator | legislation is a term for laws passed by an elected lawmaking body ( called the legislature). The people who serve in the lawmaking body are called legislators. |
| Levy/Levying | to set taxes/the act of setting taxes. |
| Legislative Branch | the lawmaking branch of government. (Example: Congress at the national level, the General Assembly at the state level in Virginia) |
| Lieutenant Governor | in Virginia, an elected official in the executive branch who serves a four year term. |
| Ordinance | a law passed at the local level (city, county, or town) |
| Regulate | to control or create rules for. |
| Reserved Powers | powers kept by the state level governments, under the U.S. Constitution. |
| Revenue | money that government collects in taxes and fees. |
| School Board | the elected or appointed group in Virginia and its localities that oversees the public schools. |
| Virginia Senate | the smaller of the two houses that make up the General Assembly in Virginia. It has 40 elected members. |
| Sheriff | in Virginia, the elected official in cities, towns, and counties responsible for various police and public safety matters. |
| Town Council | the elected lawmaking body found in incorporated towns in Virginia. |
