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Government Vocab

Terms in this set (47)

Amendments
changes made to the Georgia and/or the U.S. Constitutions.
Bill of Rights
a list of rights and freedoms found in both the Georgia and United States Constitutions.
Georgia State Constitution
the document that outlines the rights, rules, regulations, and procedures for Georgia's citizens and government.
Nonpartisan
an election where candidates are not officially affiliated with a political party.
Preamble
the opening statements of the Georgia and the U.S. Constitutions; states the fundamental purposes of the documents.
Checks and Balances
a political system that allows one branch of government to veto or amend the acts of another to prevent one branch from having too much power.
Separation of Powers
the constitutional principle that limits the powers vested in one person or branch of government.
Veto
the power held by the executive branch to reject a law; vetoes can be overturned.
Juries
a body of people (typically twelve in number) sworn to give a verdict in a legal case on the basis of evidence submitted to them in court.
Responsibilities of Citizens
duties that all citizens have; some are mandatory, like paying taxes and serving on juries; others are voluntary, such a voting.
Rights of Citizens
government protected rights found in the U.S. Bill of Rights and the Georgia Bill of Rights.
Volunteering
when someone offers a service out of their own free will without the benefit of payment
Voting
a way for the electorate to select candidates for political office
Voting Qualifications
required criteria a person must have in order to vote; these include being 18 years of age and being a citizen of the United States.
Georgia General Assembly
Georgia's legislative branch; made up of a bicameral legislature consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Georgia State Representative
a member of the Georgia House of Representatives; must be 21 years, a resident of Georgia and their district for two years, and a U.S. citizen.
Georgia State Senator
a member of the Georgia senate; must be 25 years of age, a resident of Georgia and their district for two years, and a U.S. citizen.
Legislation
acts passed by the legislative branch and approved by the executive branch or acts passed by the legislative branch, vetoed by the president, and overruled by the legislative branch.
Legislative Branch
governmental branch responsible for creating laws.
Speaker of the House
presiding officer of the General Assembly's House of Representatives.
Ad Hoc Committee
a committee created for a special purpose.
Conference Committee
created when the House and Senate writes differing versions of a bill; committee must compromise to make the bill the same.
Joint Committee
a committee made up of members of the Senate and House.
Standing Committee
a permanent committee.
Executive Branch
governmental branch responsible for enforcing laws.
Governor
head of the states executive branch responsible for overseeing the office of the executive branch.
Lieutenant Governor
second highest office of the executive branch; presides over the Georgia senate and takes on the role of the governor if the governor leaves the state; will take over the office if the governor dies or is impeached.
Attorney General
the state's chief legal officer
Appeal
seeking a new trial after a court decision
Appellate
courts whose responsibility is to review prior court cases
Chief Justice
presiding justice of the Supreme Court
Circuit
an area under the jurisdiction of the superior court
Judicial Branch
branch of government responsible for interpreting the laws
Jurisdiction
area that a court is responsible for.
Limited Jurisdiction
a court with a jurisdiction of only one county
Magistrate Court
a court with the powers to issue warrants and try minor criminal cases, civil cases for sum of $15,000 or less, and civil disputes
Probate Court
court with the power to rule on wills and estates, traffic violations, violations of game and fish laws, grant marriage and firearms licenses, appoint legal guardians, and misdemeanors.
State Court
court responsible for ruling in misdemeanor cases, preliminary criminal cases hearings, civil cases, and can issue search warrants.
Superior Court
court responsible for hearing civil and criminal trials, divorce cases, felony cases, and land titles.
Supreme Court
court responsible for reviewing decisions made in civil or criminal cases, determining the constitutionality of laws, changes to elections, and death sentences.
Court of Appeals
court that reviews civil and criminal cases that have been previously heard by trial courts.
Justices
members of the Supreme Court; in the Georgia Supreme Court, justices hold six year terms and are selected by popular vote.
Civil Law
deals with laws created to deal with relationships amongst individuals
Criminal Law
deals with laws that are created to protect society from wrong-doers.
Defendant
Person or group being charged for a wrong doing
Felony
a serious crime that can be punishable by no less than one year in prison
Misdemeanor
a minor offense with a penalty of no more than one year in prison and/or a fine
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