Georgia State Government PDF

Georgia State Government  Georgia Standard of Excellence SS8CG1 Describe the foundations of Georgia’s government. a. Explain the basic structure of the Georgia state constitution (preamble, bill of rights, articles, and amendments) as well as its relationship to the United States Const...

Georgia State Government  Georgia Standard of Excellence SS8CG1 Describe the foundations of Georgia’s government. a. Explain the basic structure of the Georgia state constitution (preamble, bill of rights, articles, and amendments) as well as its relationship to the United States Constitution. b. Explain separation of powers and checks and balances among Georgia’s three branches of government. c. Describe the rights and responsibilities of citizens according to the Georgia Constitution. d. List voting qualifications for elections in Georgia. e. Identify wisdom, justice, and moderation as the three principles in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Georgia Flag. Learning Target Learning Target: Today I am learning about the establishment of Georgia’s government. Georgia’s First Constitution Legislators began writing Georgia’s current constitution in 1977, and it was approved by the state’s citizens in 1983. This was the largest re-write of Georgia’s constitution since 1877. The goal was to create a brief, clear, and flexible constitution. The basic structure of the constitution includes the preamble, bill of rights, 11 articles, and amendments. Purpose of the Georgia Constitution? A Constitution is a written plan for how a government is supposed to operate or work…it is a framework for how it is to conduct its job It is the governing document that explains the laws, governmental offices, and citizens rights and responsibilities in the state of Georgia. Both the United States and each individual state has a constitution… Georgia State Constitution The state constitution is a living document. It is used everyday in governmental decisions. Structure of the Georgia state constitution: Preamble (Introduction) Articles (11 main articles) Sections Paragraphs  Structure of Georgia’s Constitution The preamble is a brief statement that identifies the fundamental purposes and principles for which the Georgia Constitution stands. The bill of rights is found in Article I of the Georgia Constitution. A bill of rights enumerates certain individual liberties and protects those liberties from governmental intrusion, unless there is a sufficiently compelling justification for government action. The eleven articles comprise the bulk of the constitution and include paragraphs that outline the rights, rules, regulation, and procedures for both citizens and the state’s government.  Georgia’s Government Article I: Bill of Rights What is the Article II: Voting & Elections basic structure of Article III: Legislative Branch the Georgia Article IV: Constitutional Boards & Commissions state Article V: Executive Branch constitution? Article VI: Judicial Branch Article VII: Taxation & Finance Article VIII: Education Article IX: Counties & Municipal Corporations Article X: Amendments to the Constitution Article XI: Miscellaneous Provisions State Constitution vs US Constitution State constitutions must meet the U.S. Constitution. The federal government does allow for states to make laws good for states if it follows the U.S. constitution.  State Constitution vs US Constitution The Georgia Constitution contains many similarities as well as differences to the U. S. Constitution. Similarities include: Each constitution contains a bill of rights. Each adopts the concept of separation of powers with specific legislative, executive and judicial branches. Executive leaders have power to appoint officials and veto bills. The legislative branches (the U.S. Congress and the Georgia General Assembly) are bicameral and each calls its two chambers the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both governments allow judicial review (the power of the courts to declare acts unconstitutional.)  State Constitution vs US Constitution Differences include: Georgia’s Constitution is longer in length due to the specific, detailed policies. Georgia voters must approve any amendments to the constitution while there is no comparable role for amending the U. S. Constitution. Georgia’s Constitution requires that the state maintain a balanced budget while the U.S. Constitution does not place that limitation on the federal government. According to the Georgia Constitution, the Georgia Governor has line-item veto power (can cut a specific item in a spending bill) while the U. S. President does not have the same power.  Other Differences Georgia elects almost all its judges on non-partisan ballots while the President nominates judges for Senate approval. State Legislators (both Senators and Representatives) in Georgia serve two-year terms while at the national level, Representatives serve Constitution two-year terms and Senators serve six-year terms. The Georgia Governor does not function with a cabinet of advisors vs. US as does the President. Constitution The Georgia Constitution provides detailed information regarding how local governments should function. The U. S. Constitution does not mention local government.  Success Criteria: I’ll know I’m successful when I can…. Describe the foundations of Georgia’s government. · Explain that Georgia’s constitution has many parts. Explain the structure of Georgia’s constitution. Explain how Georgia’s constitution is like the United States Constitution.