County Government

-Largest level of local government

-Gets all authority from the State Government

• Cannot operate without state’s permission

-Charters

-Local version of a Constitution—It is given to local governments by the State

• Describes government, structure, & powers

-Common Purposes

• Protection of & services to the people

County Officials

-County Board (legislature)

-Commissioners: a group of elected officials charged with administering the county government in local government

-Manager

• Hired professional, runs county

Dena Diorio is the hired

county manager

for Mecklenburg County.

County Officials

-Sheriff

• Elected

• Chief law enforcement officer

• Runs jail & Sheriff’s Dept.

-Coroner

• Declares deaths, works on crime scenes

--District Attorney

• Represents the county in court

• Prosecutor for the county

Chip BaileySheriff of Mecklenburg County

Andrew MurrayDA of Mecklenburg County

County Services

-Passing laws & regulations

ordinances--Term for local laws—also referred to as blue laws in some areas

• All paid for with some money from the state, but mostly county taxes

-law enforcement

-fire services

-recreation

-sanitation

-education

-planning

-transportation

-health

-welfare

City Governments

-get powers from a charter given by the state (must have permission to form)

-Incorporation-- Official recognition from the state of a local government’s power (want services for citizens)

-Annexation-- the addition of more land into a city or town (by choice or force - to provide services)

City Officials

-Mayor

• Elected chief executive of the city who is responsible for overseeing city government

-Council (city’s legislature)

-Alderman

• Pass ordinances to regulate city

-Manager

• Professional manager with full responsibility of government

• Appointed by city council

City Governments

-Usually one of two major types of city governments

-Mayor-Council Form (power divided between Mayor & council) Huntersville

Mayor’s power limited by city council

-Strong Mayor System: power in Mayor

-Weak Mayor System: power in Council

-Council-Manager System: Charlotte

-elected Council hires professional to run gov’t (called a manager)

Jill Swain,Mayor of

Huntersville

Public Policy

-Planning Boards (community members)

-Zoning Boards-- Local group of officials who make determinations about what types of buildings & the uses of buildings that are allowed in certain areas

• Determine how to use community land

Financing Public Policy

• To pay for community services

-Property Taxes

• Tax paid to local government based on value of registered property

-Local Sales Tax

• Percentage attached to store-bought items, paid to local or state government

Congress & Legislative Branch

U.S. Congress

• Bicameral• Senate– 100 members– Six years

• House– 435– 2 years– Can be changed for each state after

census

House of Representatives

• Term: 2 years

• Qualifications– 25 years old– 7 years as a U.S. citizen– Resident of represented state

House of Representatives

• Special Powers of the House of Representatives– All money (appropriations) bills start

here– Select the President in an Electoral

College tie–Write the article of impeachment

against high ranking officials

Senate

• Term of office: 6 years

• Qualifications: – 30 years old– 9 years a citizen of the U.S.– Resident of the represented state

Senate

• Number of Senators: 100

• Head of the Senate: U.S. Vice President – Joe Biden

• Power: Decides committee members & order bill are debated.

Senate

• Special Powers– Approves all treaties– Approves all appointments– Chooses the Vice President in an

Electoral College tie– Acts as the jury in all trials of

impeachment

Privileges & Compensation of Congress

Salary $193,000 per yearMedical & dental benefitsFree office, parking, & trips to home

stateFranking privilege- free postage on all

mail to constituents

How Does a bill becomes a law?

http://youtu.be/tyeJ55o3El0

Steps of a Bill

1) A Member of Congress introduces the Bill

2) The Bill goes to a Committee3) The Bill is debated by either the

Senate or the House4) If Bill is passed it goes to the

other Chamber – if not it DIES!5) After Bill has been voted on in

BOTH Chambers if is is approved…

6) The Bill is sent to the President who can either approve – it becomes LAW – or he can VETO it, which then goes back & starts all over again… Or 2/3 of Congress can override the Pres!

President & Executive Branch

Chief Executive A. ‘take care that the laws be faithfully

executed’-carry out the nation’s laws

B. Issuing Executive Orders -rule or command of the President & has force of law

Legislative Leader

A. Proposes legislation-staff will draft a bill

B. Prepares federal budget -presented in the State of the Union AddressC. Approves or vetoes legislation -signs or vetoes any bill he likes/dislikes

Commander in Chief

President is the leader of the military

Judicial Leader

A. Appoints judges to Supreme Court & other federal courtsB. Can issue pardon’s & reprieves

Chief Diplomat A. President deals with other countriesB.Appointing AmbassadorsC. Making Treaties

Chief of State

A. Represents the whole nationB. ceremonial head of the US government

Party Leader

A. Supports party members in election campaignsB. Helps unify party & give it direction

Formal Qualifications for the Presidency

• A natural born citizen

• At least 35 years of age

• Lived in the United States for at least 14 years

President’s terms

• Serves term of four years

• 22nd Amendment: President can only be elected for two terms or 10 years

President’s Pay & Benefits

• Congress determines the President’s salary

• $400,000 per year• $50,000 per year expense allowance• Use of the White House & Camp David• Use of Air Force One & several other

planes & helicopters• The finest medical, dental, & other

health care available• Many other fringe benefits

Presidential Succession

• Presidential succession is a list of people that can fill a Presidential vacancy

• 25th Amendment & the Presidential Succession Act of 1947– 1st Vice – President– 2nd Speaker of the House– 3rd President Pro Tempore of the Senate

Vice President

• Two powers listed in the Constitution– 1st to preside over

the Senate– 2nd to help decide

the question of presidential disability

United States Cabinet

• Advise the President

• Members are the secretaries of executive departments

• Not a power written in the US Constitution

United States Cabinet

• “The Big Four“– Secretary of State– Secretary of the Treasury– Secretary of Defense – Attorney General

Secretary of State

– Head of the United States Department of State

– Concerned with foreign affairs.

Secretary of State John Kerry

State Department (1789)

FUNCTIONS/JOBS• 3 Original Executive

Departments• Hires experts on

foreign policy• Issues passports &

visas

AGENCIES• Sets up embassies run

by ambassadors

Attorney General– Chief law-enforcement officer U.S.– Legal adviser to the President –Head of the Department of Justice

Attorney general oversees all the government's law business

– Acts as the president's legal adviser.

Attorney General Eric Holder

Justice Department (1870)

FUNCTIONS/JOBS• Enforces federal law• Headed by attorney

general

AGENCIES• FBI – Fed. Bureau of

Investigation• DEA (Drug

Enforcement Agency)

Secretary of the Treasury

– Head of the United States Department of the Treasury

– Concerned with finance & monetary matters

– Similar to the finance ministers of other nations.

Secretary of the Treasury Jacob Lew

Treasury Department (1789)

FUNCTIONS/JOBS• 3 Original Executive

Departments• Prints nations money

AGENCIES• Internal Revenue

Service (IRS)• ATF ( Bureau of

Alcohol, tobacco & Firearms)

Secretary of Defense

• Head of the United States Department of Defense

• Concerned with the armed services & military matters.

• 6th in line of Presidential succession

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel

Defense Department (1789)

FUNCTIONS/JOBS• Dept. of War & Dept.

of Navy combined• Joint Chiefs of Staff are

most important advisors

• 3 Original Executive Departments

• Largest department

AGENCIES

The Federal Bureaucracy

Independent Agencies

• CIA -Central Intelligence Agency• EPA – Environmental Protection Agency• Federal Reserve System• FDIC• Federal Communication Commission

(FCC)• Social Security Admin.• FTC – Fed. Trade Commission

Major Elements

• The bureaucracy is made up of three major groups of administrative agencies:

– Executive Office of the President– 15 Cabinet Departments– Independent Agencies

The Name Game

• Department is reserved for agencies of cabinet rank

• Agency refers to any governmental body headed by a single administrator

• Administration is used in a similar way• Commission is given to agencies that

regulate business activities. Commissions are headed commissioners.

• Corporation & authority are used for agencies that have a board & a manager

What are Independent Agencies?

• An independent agency operates outside of the 15 executive departments in the cabinet

• Why do they exist outside of the cabinet department structure?:1. Some agencies are independent

because their functions did not fit into any of the existing departments

Regulatory Commissions

• Food & Drug Administration (FDA)• Federal Communications Commission

(FCC)• Federal Trade Commission (FTC)• Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)• Federal Aviation Authority (FAA)• National Aeronautical Space

Administration (NASA)• Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

Government Corporations

• In the executive branch, & under the control of the President

• Appointed by the President with Senate confirmation; all of their employees are public officials

Government Corporations• Examples would be– the FDIC – Federal Deposit Insurance

Corporation– Eximbank -- Export/Import Bank of the

United States– The US Postal Service– National Railroad Passenger Corporation– Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation– Tennessee Valley Authority

Enforcement Agencies

• Consumer Protection• Dept of Transportation• DOJ/ Attorney General• FBI• SBI• Secret Service• Nat’l Guard/Reserves

Important N.C Facts & Review

1. US Constitutional breakdown (This had better be review!) NC Constitution also has a preamble

2. Article 1 is the Declaration of rights

3. Article 2 is the Legislative Branch

4. Article 3 is the executive branch

5. Article 4 is the judicial branch

6. The Declaration of rights is North Carolina’s version of the bill of rights

7. North Carolina’s legislative branch is called the General Assembly

8. North Carolina judges are elected for 8 year terms

9. The Governor has an appointed cabinet and an elected council of the state

1. US has a Preamble 2. Article 1: Legislative branch (Bicameral: HOR and Senate) 3. Article 2: Executive Branch (President, VP, Cabinet)4. Article 3: Judicial Branch (Supreme Court)5. Us Constitution has a Bill of Rights6. Us Legislative Branch is called Congress 7. Appointed Judges serve for life8. The president has an appointed council

When in doubt: The NC and US Constitutions are “mirror images of

one another”

Refer endum: A process by which a legislative measure (law or bill) is referred to the State’s voters for final approval or rejection, put forth by the Governor or General Assembly. *** (direct popular vote)– This law is created by the General

assembly, then referred to the voters…Voters have no say in how the law is written, all they do is vote yes or no.

Changing the N.C. Constitution

Initiative: A process by which a certain number of qualified voters sign petitions in favor of a proposal, which goes directly to the ballot.

• Petition: Voters sign a document to show support for an issue.

• Citizens in 17 States can use an initiative to propose amendments to State constitution.• This could be anything from Marriage laws to

Alcohol laws.• This law is written by the people and given to the

general assembly.• How is this different from a referendum?

Changing the N.C. Constitution