UGA Georgia Constitution Exam

How many constitutions has GA had since the current constitution has been established?

10

What year was the first GA constitution made?

1777

What year was the current GA constitution ratified?

1983

How many articles are in the GA constitution?

11 Articles (vs 7 in the US constitution)

Line-item veto

A power the GA governor has to cut spending items on a proposed bill (only involves bills relating to spending/money)

What does the GA constitution require for the GA state budget?

The state cannot spend more money than it plans to take in during the fiscal year (Must have a Balanced Budget)

Who proposes the budget for the fiscal year in the state of GA?

the Governor

How is a new amendment ratified in the state of GA?

the Senate and the House must each approve by a 2/3 vote; the Governor must not veto it; and GA citizens have to vote also to approve the new amendment

How are department heads in the executive branch selected in GA?

GA voters vote for each department head

What are the additional protections in the GA Bill of Rights that are not in the US Bill of Rights?

-"Life, Liberty, and Property"

-Freedom of conscience (religion)

-Banishment and whipping are illegal for punishment

-Fishing and hunting are allowed but regulated

How many people are elected to be on a Jury in GA?

12

What is a general election?

Where GA voters directly select or vote for a candidate to get the corresponding job/position.

What is a primary election?

where different political parties pick/vote for the candidate

What is a special election?

An emergency election to fill positions in certain situations like when someone resigns before their term length has ended

What are the 3 principles in the GA Pledge

-Wisdom (legislative branch)

-Justice (judicial branch)

-Moderation (executive branch)

What is the General Assembly?

the legislative branch consisting of congress with the senate and House of Representatives

Requirements to be a Senator in GA

-25 years old

-GA resident for 2 years

-Resident of a district representing for 1 year

-US citizen

Requirements to be a House of Representatives Member in GA

-21 years old

-GA resident for 2 years

-Resident of a district representing for 1 year

-US citizen

How many members total are in the general assembly?

236 voting members

-56 Senate

-180 House

How many senate members does GA have?

56 members

How many house of representative members does GA have?

180 members

When do elections occur for choosing new Senate/House members?

in November every 2 years on even number years

What is the term length for a senator in GA?

2 years

What is the term length for a House of Representatives member in GA?

2 years

What is the term length for the governor in GA?

4 years for a 2 term limit

Who is the head of the House of Representatives?

the Speaker of the House

What are the responsibilities of the Speaker of the House?

-can schedule debates

-can appoint members to committees

Who is the head of the Senate?

Lieutenant Governor ("president of the senate")

What is the term length for the Lieutenant Governor?

4 years with unlimited terms (no term limit)

How are the governor and Lt. Governor elected?

Elected every 4 years on even numbered years

***Each elected separately on separate ballots

What are the lieutenant governor's responsibilities?

-acts as the governors assistant

-can appoint people to committees

What are the 6 agencies in the Executive Branch?

-Secretary of State

-Attorney General

-Department of education

-Department of Insurance

-Department of Agriculture

-Department of Labor

What are the responsibilities of the Secretary of State?

-oversees business in the state

-In charge of all state elections

What are the responsibilities of the Attorney General?

-Chief legal officer

-Deals with contracts, legal disputes for state gov.

-death penalty cases and state official cases

What are the responsibilities of the Department of education

Education

What are the responsibilities of the Department of Insurance?

-makes sure insurance companies follow state laws

-Investigates insurance fraud and building safety

What are the responsibilities of the Department of Agriculture?

-makes sure food is safe and rules are followed

-regulates farms

What are the responsibilities of the Department of Labor?

-makes sure safety regulations and laws are followed

What is the highest court in GA?

the Supreme Court

What are the 7 levels of courts in GA?

-State

-Juvenile

-Probate

-Magistrate

-Superior

-Court of Appeals

-Supreme

How are judges selected for the different courts

Elected by voters on non-partisan ballots

*Magistrate judge can be appointed by the governor

What are the terms lengths and limits for judges?

-state, juvenile, probate, magistrate, and superior have 4 year term limits

-Court of appeals and the Supreme Court judges are elected for 6 year terms

Who consists on the Supreme Court in GA?

8 justices and 1 Chief Justice (9 members)

Who does the Court of Appeals in GA consist of?

15 judges assigned to 4 different panels

Standing Committees

-Consist of both house and senate members

-always in session on important issues

-where bills are written and the details of them are worked out

-most important kind of committee

When does redistricting occur?

every 10 years after the census

When do new laws go into effect?

July 1st (the beginning of the new fiscal year)

Can congress override the Governor's veto on a bill?

Yes, with a 2/3 vote

What is a Conference committee?

-occurs when a bill is approved by one chamber of congress but not the other

-conference committee may revise bill or it will be killed

-once the bill is revised, it is sent straight to the governor to be approved

What is an Ad hoc Committee?

"urgency committee"

-committees created for special purposes

What are Joint Committees?

A committee made up of both senate and house members who are reputable.

-Write bills together and is used for important bills that need to be passed quickly

-Streamlines the passing of a new bill process by removing the steps where both the House and Senate have to accept the bill by 2/3

What is the largest branch in the GA gov?

the executive branch because of all of the departments it has

What are the requirements to be Governor in GA?

-30 years old

-Resident of GA for 6 years

-US citizen for 15 years

What are the requirements to be the Lieutenant Governor?

-30 years old

-Resident of GA for 6 years

-US citizen for 15 years

(same as governor)

What are the duties of the Governor?

-Can call special sessions of the general assembly

-Chief Law Enforcement Officer

-Commander-in-Chief of state's national guard and the GA state patrol

-Propose the annual budget (which then has to be revised and approved by congress)

Who can suspend the execution of a death sentence?

The Chairman of Parole and Pardon

What categories of expenditures can lottery proceeds be used for?

-Scholarships

-Tech upgrades for schools

-GA Pre-K programs

How many congressional districts are there in GA?

14

How are the number of State Transportation Board Members determined?

By the number of congressional districts in GA (14)

Is there a standard in the constitution stating what warrants impeachment of a person?

No- there is none

What is sovereign immunity?

a legal doctrine where a state cannot commit a legal wrong doing and is immune from criminal persecution and civil suit

How are state legislators elected in GA?

voted on directly by the people in their district

Who elects the Chairman of the Georgia Public Service?

the commission members (serves 2 year term)

The power of impeachment is given to ______

the House of Representatives

The trial of impeachment is then given to ________

the Senate

Where must all bills raising revenue or appropriating money originate?

the House of Representatives

What is an open direct primary election?

An election where a registered voter must vote for candidates of only one political party. They don’t have to be affiliated with that party to vote for them.

What Supreme Court case did the state of GA overturn the abortion law (allowing women to decide whether or not they wanted one, under the 14th amendment)?

Doe v. Bolton

What prescribes the salary judges make?

the law

What is the term length for the court of appellate judges?

6 years

The Attorney General is in charge of preparing all _______

Contracts and legal agreements for the state

What civil liberties are protected by the GA Constitution?

-Freedom of speech

-Freedom of the press

-Freedom of religion

What was the GA case that involved capital punishment and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment?

McCleskey v. Kemp

What is the maximum amount of times in a year the GA general assembly can be in session for?

40 days

What court case ruled on the requirement for consistency in the application of the death penalty in GA?"

Furman v. GA

What are the 4 misdemeanors the state court hears on?

-traffic violations

-issue arrest warrants

-try civil matters

-hold preliminary hearings in criminal court cases

What duty did Marvin Griffin propose for Lieutenant Governor?

the duty of appointing chairman to senate committees with governor approval

What are the limits to the city and county tax levels?

-1% sales tax

-4% state tax

Judicial vacancies are filled how?

the Governor will appoint a new judge

Can the GA constitution be amended to affect only specific individual counties and cities?

Yes- via the Home Rule- local government can amend its local constitution

How is the Chief Justice in the GA Supreme Court elected?

elected by the state's justices on a rotating basis

What are the 3 reasons the State Board of Paroles and Pardons will pardon someone of a crime they are convicted of?

-They are ruled innocent of the crime

-Receive medical reprieve due to having a terminal illness

-To parole a person 62 or older

What GA court case declared that rape did not constitute death penalty?

Coker v. Georgia

Votes in the general assembly must be by _______ if a bill involves ________

-Roll Call

-Appropriations

Who determines the Executive Officer of the Veterans Service Board?

The members of the Veterans Service Board

When do special sessions occur?

when extra time is needed outside a traditional issue

What is the term limit for members of the general assembly in GA?

there is no term limit but they serve on 2 year terms

What is a Bill of Attainder? What is Georgia's stance of the bill?

the act of declaring a person guilty of a crime without trial. It is illegal

What court case outlawed GA's use of a white primary?

King v. Chapman

What are the 2 basic tasks of the Veterans Service Board?

-Informing veterans about their benefits

-Assisting and advising veterans on how to secure their benefits

What does the Board of Natural Resources set rules and regulations for?

-Air and water quality

-Hunting seasons

-etc

What is Home Rule?

involves the authority of a local government to prevent state government intervention with its operations (allows for more local autonomy, as long as what they do stays within reason of their constitution; no drastic changes).

What is a civil liberty not protected by the GA constitution?

The right to privacy (though it is mentioned)

What GA court. case ruled that Congress could force private businesses to abide by the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States

How many members are on the GA State Board of Pardons and Paroles?

5 members

How are the members of the State Board of Pardons and Paroles selected?

They are appointed by the Governor

Does the GA Constitution ban indentured servitude?

Yes

What are the qualifications be the GA Attorney General?

-25 years old

-resident of GA for 4 years

-US citizen for 10 years

-Active member of the State Bar of GA for 7 years

How many member make up the Veterans Service Board?

7 members

How are the members the Veterans Service Board selected?

They are appointed by the Governor