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North CarolinaUnit 8

8.1 Compare and contrast the U.S. and N.C. Constitutions

The First Provincial CongressAugust 25, 1774Wilmington, NC

local leaders met without approval of the Royal Governor

The first meeting of this type in any of the 13 colonies

The Mecklenburg DeclarationMay 1775

Mecklenburg County Citizens met in Charlotte

Decided all offices appointed by British government were vacant

Provincial Congress is the only law in the land

The Halifax ResolvesApril 12, 1776

NC officially becomes the first colony to call for total independence from Great Britian.

The NC Constitution Ratified in 1791

Very similar to the US constitution

Structure:

1. Preamble2. Declaration of rights3. Framework for government

(articles)1. List of powers (Sections)

4. Amendments

3 Branches of NC Government8.1

I. The Legislative BranchThe General Assembly

Powers of the General AssemblyMake laws

Statutes- laws that apply statewide laws for specific counties or cities

Impeachment- governor, judges, members of Council of State

Pass a budget- by law, must be balanced

Organization of the General AssemblyNC Senate 50 members

NC House of Representatives

120 members

Electionsno term limits

G.A. redraws district lines each census

each district has equal population

Qualifications

House- 21 years old, lived in district one year

Senate- 25 years old, lived in NC two years

LeadershipNC House:

Speaker of House

NC Senate:

President of Senate is Lieutenant Governor

president pro tempore is leader

II. Executive BranchGovernorLt GovernorCouncil of State

GovernorChief of State- symbolic leader of NC

Chief Executive- responsible for making sure policies are carried out (with Council of State)

qualifications

30 years oldUS citizen 5 yearslived in NC two

years

Duties1.appoints key officials2.proposes state budget3.supervises executive branch

4. Veto Powerincludes line item veto:

may veto one or more items on bill without rejecting whole bill

5. Judicial Powerspardon- release from legal consequence of

crimecommute- reduce sentencereprieve- postpone executionparole- release early from prison

Lt. Governorelected for 4 years separately from governor

succeeds governor if becomes vacant

president of Senate

Council of stateelected heads of gov’t agencies

Are under the governor but work independently ex: Attorney General- lawyer for the state

III. The Judicial BranchThe NC Supreme Court

The NC Supreme Court

Elected by voters, 7 membershighest state court, interprets state constitutionmajor function of reviewing decisions of lower

courts in appealsfinal say in matters of state law

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