State Government Study Guide
Test is May 6!!!!
1. Vocabulary words:
Veto: to reject, as a law.
Ratify: To approve
Republic: Citizens elect representatives to make laws.
Federalism: A system in which government power is shared between the states and federal government.
Checks & Balances: Power is spread among the 3 branches to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.
2. Powers of the 3 STATE branches:
Executive: The governor is held in this branch. Positions in this branch are elected by people in the state. Includes various departments that advise the governor.
Legislative: Meet once a year and typically have other jobs. Requirements are to be the age of 18 and live in the state for 2 years. All positions are elected by people in the state.
Judicial: Includes the Justice of the Peace and parish or city courts. Must have a law degree. Positions are elected by people in the state.
** You do not have to be a natural born citizen for any state held positions.
3. Types of local government: Municipal (city) Government, Mayor and City Council, City Manager and City Council, Police Jury, President Council, Consolidated Government.
4. Home Rule Authority: gave parishes right to decide what type of parish government they want.
5. Bill Cassidy and David Vitter are Louisiana’s members of the U.S. Senate
6. Powers of local government: builds and maintains parish roads, controls, monitors, and inspects sewage and drainage projects, provides emergency information and warnings to the public, etc.
7. Louisiana is the only state to have parishes (other states have counties)
8. The president and governor have in common: both are executive leaders [president (nation) & governor (state)].
9. The Louisiana Declaration of Rights is similar to the federal Bill of Rights: in a federal system, the states would need a similar set up to the federal form of government.
10. James Madison wrote the Bill of Rights before Louisiana became a state
11. The city of Mandeville has a Mayor and City Council form of government
12. The major difference between the federal courts system and the state courts in Louisiana is state judges are elected and federal judges are appointed.
13. Both the federal congress and Louisiana legislature can override a veto from the executive leader.
14. If an underage person is accused of a crime they go to juvenile court.
15. Lobbyist are people who work for large corporations or special interest groups and try to convince legislators to vote a certain way.
16. The main difference between the U.S. Senate and the Louisiana State Senate is the Louisiana senate is based on population.
17. Powers the national congress and Louisiana State Legislature have in common: both create laws and can impeach government officials.
18. The purpose of consolidated form of government: for cities that are so large they are almost the same size as the parish.
19. Current governor: John Bel Edwards
20. The Louisiana State Legislature is bicameral.
21. The purpose of school boards: to create policies and set educational standards for all public schools in the state.
22. The mayor, governor, and president are all head leaders, but at different levels of government.
23. Know at least 1 function of each level of government:
Federal ______
State ______
Local ______