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Much of the time, the United States government runs smoothly. Laws are passed and enforced, court cases are heard, relations with other countries are carried out.
This is due primarily to the genius of our Constitution. The Constitution establishes three branches of government – the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch. The Constitution also establishes the separation of powers. That means the government has a system of checks and balances that makes sure no single branch of government has too much power.
To find out more about our national government, go here: How America Works.
To dive into North Carolina’s government, scroll down!
▲ The United States Congress has two parts – the Senate and the House of Representatives. The people who make up the Senate and the House come from every state, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Territories. Every state has two senators, no matter how many people live there. Every state has representatives according to its population, so states where many people live, like New York or California, have more representatives. States where few people live, like Alaska, have fewer representatives. North Carolina has two senators and 14 representatives.
◀ North Carolina’s government has three branches, just like the national government. It also has the same checks and balances. The governor is the head of the executive branch. The North Carolina Legislature is the legislative branch. It makes laws that apply only to people in North Carolina. The judicial branch makes sure that laws are carried out correctly.
North Carolina’s Governor
Josh Stein
▲ North Carolina’s executive branch includes the governor and the lieutenant governor. It also includes the attorney general. The attorney general is the state’s chief legal officer. The executive branch also contains the secretary of state and the state treasurer. The state superintendent of public instruction and several other commissioners are included as well. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected to four-year terms. They cannot serve more than two consecutive terms.
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▲ North Carolina’s legislative branch is the North Carolina General Assembly. It has two parts. One part is the North Carolina Senate, with 50 members. The other part is the North Carolina House of Representatives, with 120 members. Members of the North Carolina Senate serve two-year terms. They have no term limits. Members of the House of Representatives also serve two-year terms. They too have no term limits. Elections are held in even-numbered years. The members of North Carolina’s legislative branch enact laws. They approve the state budget – how the state will spend its money on things like parks, roads, and schools.
North Carolina has one unified court system for the state. The court system has three divisions. They are the Appellate Division, the Superior Division, and the District Court Division. The Appellate Division includes the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals. The Supreme court is our highest court. It has a chief justice and six associate justices. The Supreme Court reviews and decides cases that have been decided in lower courts. The Court of Appeals is a lower court. The Court of Appeals has 15 judges. The Superior Courts and the District Courts are trial courts. Their judges are elected by the voters in their district. Superior Court judges serve eight-year terms. District Court judges hear cases involving lower-level crimes. They serve four-year terms. Magistrates are officers of the District Courts. They have many responsibilities. One of them is performing marriages. Magistrates are appointed. Their first term is for two years. ▶
▲ Many people complain about taxes, the money people pay to city, state, and federal government. Some taxes are based on a person’s income. Some taxes are added to the price of goods and services. Where does all that tax money go, you might ask. It depends. State taxes mostly pay for education and health insurance for people who cannot afford it. They are also for state roads and public safety including police. Local taxes pay for teachers’ salaries and law enforcement. They pay for firefighters and emergency medical services. They also pay for libraries, parks, and lots more. People may think their taxes are too high. But without them, our state and our country would look quite different.
◀ North Carolina has 100 counties. Each is governed by a board of commissioners. The board has five or more members. Counties may join together to make recommendations for ways to use land. Counties and cities may join to provide different kinds of public services. Funding for counties may come from taxes on property and local sales taxes. It may also come from fees for services like providing water and maintaining sewers.
