Government of North Carolina

North Carolina's executive branch is governed by Article III of the state constitution. The first North Carolina Constitution in 1776 called for a governor and a seven member Council of State elected by the legislature. Currently, the ten-member Council of State of North Carolina includes the following members elected by voters: • Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Attorney General • Secretary of State • Commissioner of Agriculture • Commissioner of Insurance • Commissioner of Labor • Superintendent of Public Instruction • State Treasurer • State Auditor The Council of State as a collective body is accorded little responsibility by the state constitution, though some statues grant it authority in certain cases, particularly in the acquisition of property by the state. Building in Raleigh The ten North Carolina Cabinet departments, headed by department secretaries appointed by the Governor, are as follows: The North Carolina Administrative Code (NCAC) contains all the codified rules. ==Legislative branch==

in Raleigh The legislature derives its authority from Article II of the North Carolina Constitution. The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature. Like all other states except for Nebraska, the legislature is bicameral, currently consisting of the 120-member North Carolina House of Representatives and the 50-member North Carolina Senate. The lieutenant governor is the ex officio president of the state Senate. The Senate also elects its own president pro tempore and the House elects its speaker. Its session laws are published in the official North Carolina Session Laws and codified as the North Carolina General Statutes. The constitution of North Carolina vests the state's legislative power in the General Assembly; the General Assembly writes state laws/statutes. The assembly has the power to levy taxes and adopts the state budget. The General Assembly has the sole power to propose amendments to the state constitution. If a proposed amendment receives the support of three-fifths of the House and the Senate, it is scheduled for ratification by a statewide referendum. ==Judiciary==

North Carolina's judiciary derives its authority from Article IV of the North Carolina Constitution. The General Court is composed of a District Court Division, a Superior Court Division, and an Appellate Division. The Administrative Office of the Courts oversees all clerical and financial aspects of the state judicial system. and its docket is typically dominated by cases concerning interpretation of the constitution, major legal questions, and appeals of criminal cases involving capital punishment. The North Carolina Court of Appeals is the state's intermediate appellate court and consists of fifteen judges who rule in rotating panels of three. Together, the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals constitute the appellate division of the court system. The Superior Court is the trial court of general jurisdiction in the state. In criminal matters, superior courts hear all felony cases and handle appeals of misdemeanors and infractions from District Courts. In civil matters, superior courts have original jurisdiction over civil disputes with an amount in controversy exceeding $25,000. The Superior Court also adjudicates most appeals from state administrative agencies. In criminal matters, the District Courts have jurisdiction over misdemeanor and infraction cases adjudicated without the presence of a jury. In civil matters, the courts have original jurisdiction over civil disputes with an amount in controversy under $25,000, divorces, child custody disputes, and child support payments. Magistrates in the court issue criminal processes, perform marriages, hear eviction and other small claims cases, and order involuntary commitments. ==Local government==

Overview The General Assembly's authority to create local governments comes from Article VII of the Constitution of North Carolina. Local governments in North Carolina primarily consist of counties, cities, and towns. The state makes no legal distinction between a town and a city; all are treated as municipalities, with the name being a matter of choice. North Carolina has 100 counties and more than 552 municipalities. There are also special purpose governments, most of which concern either soil and water conservation or housing and community development. Some local governments are joined in regional councils with others to improve coordination and cooperation. Counties Every section of land in North Carolina is included in a county. All counties in the state are led by an elected board of commissioners who employ a county manager. Boards of commissioners vary in size from three to 11 members. In addition to the manager, the commissioners usually hire the county's clerk, attorney, assessor, and tax collector. Unlike in municipal council-manager governments in the state, the board of commissioners usually must approve all of the manager's hiring decisions unless they explicitly delegate sole hiring authority to the manager. County government in North Carolina is also more fractured than municipal government, due to the presence of other elected officials such as sheriffs and registers of deeds, who have control over their own staff. The office of county sheriff is established by the constitution, and sheriffs are not subject to the oversight of the state government. County government is largely funded through local property taxes. All counties in North Carolina are subdivided into townships. A legacy of Reconstruction era alterations to government structure, townships no longer have any legal authority but serve primarily as organizing units for administrative purposes. County governments in North Carolina include the following officials: Some municipalities have limited authority granted by state law, mostly in planning and zoning affairs, extending outside their formal jurisdictions. Special purpose districts and authorities Special purpose districts are local governments in the state with taxation power and narrowly defined scope. The most common special districts are sanitary districts and rural fire protection districts. Authorities do not have taxation power. The most common authorities are housing authorities, water and sewer authorities, and airport authorities. ==See also==