Foundations of GA's Government

Foundations of Georgia's Government

• I can explain the basic structure of the Georgia state constitution (preamble, bill of rights, articles, and amendments) and the relationship to the U.S. Constitution.

• I can explain what checks and balances and separation of powers are, as well as how they impact Georgia's three branches of government.

• I can identify wisdom, justice, and moderation as the three principles in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Georgia Flag.

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​The Georgia State Constitution

• Georgia’s first constitution was issued in 1777, soon after the Declaration of Independence was written

  • it established a new government for Georgia as Georgia changed from a colony to a state

• Georgia has revised its constitution nine times since then

• Today, Georgia operates under its tenth constitution, which was adopted in 1982

• The basic structure of the Georgia Constitution includes a preamble, articles, a bill of rights and amendments

​The Georgia State Constitution

• The basic structure of the Georgia Constitution includes a preamble, articles, a bill of rights and amendments

​The Georgia State Constitution

• The basic structure of the Georgia Constitution includes a preamble, articles, a bill of rights and amendments

  • this is very similiar to the U.S. Constitution, which also includes a preamble, articles, Bill of Rights & amendment process

  • there are 7 articles in the U.S. Constitution, while the GA Constitution has 11

Multiple Choice

Based on the differences in articles between the U.S. Constitution and the Georgia Constitution, what could be suggested about the level of detail in the Georgia Constitution?

• it has more topics and/or more details than the U.S. Constitution

• it has less topics and/or less details than the U.S. Constitution

• there is no difference because both are the same

Multiple Choice

In the GA Constitution, the Bill of Rights was placed in the very first article.

Why might the placement of the Bill of Rights in Georgia’s Constitution be significant?

• the framers of the Georgia Constitution did not see the need to prioritize the rights within their document

• the framers of the Georgia Constitution may have wanted to emphasize the importance of the rights

​State vs. Federal Government

• The Framers of the United States established a federal system of government, where power is shared between the central/national and state governments

• The 10th Amendment in the U.S. Constitution states reserved powers are state powers

  • The 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that those powers not given to the federal government are reserved for the states (Example: establishing public education within a state)

  • The U.S. Constitution gives certain powers to the federal government (Example: power to declare war)

  • Some powers are also shared by federal and state governments (Example: power to tax)

​State vs. Federal Government

• The Supremacy Clause - the Georgia Constitution cannot contradict the U.S. Constitution.

  • The supremacy clause in Article VI of the U. S. Constitution states that the U.S. Constitution is “the supreme law of the land” in every state of the Union.

  • However, the federal government’s powers are still limited. Federal laws cannot conflict with the U.S. Constitution, and the federal government cannot exercise powers reserved for the states.

• The Georgia Constitution establishes a framework to exercise the state’s reserved and shared powers & provides the structure for:

  • making and enforcing Georgia laws

  • regulating trade within Georgia

  • providing a justice system for Georgia

  • meeting the education, health, and transportation needs of Georgians

  • also defines how the state shares its powers with local counties

​Three Branches of Government

• The three branches of Georgia’s government are similar to the three branches of the federal government.

  • legislative branch

  • executive branch

  • judicial branch

• Each branch has separate, distinct powers that are described in the state constitution.

  • This is known as separation of powers

• Separation of powers stops any one branch from becoming too powerful. It also forces the three branches to work together in order to meet the needs of citizens.

• GA's 3 branches of government:

  • Legislative Branch

    • makes laws

    • key players: General Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives)

  • Executive Branch

    • enforces & carries out laws

    • key players: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, & State Treasurer

  • Judicial Branch

    • interprets laws

    • key players: Superior Courts, State Courts, and Municipal Courts

Match

Match each branch of Georgia's government with the purpose of that branch

• creates laws

• enforces laws

• interprets laws

legislative branch

executive branch

judicial branch

• legislative branch

• executive branch

• judicial branch

Match

Match each branch of Georgia's government with the head of that branch

• General Assembly (Senate & House of Representatives)

• Governor

• Supreme Court

legislative branch

executive branch

judicial branch

• legislative branch

• executive branch

• judicial branch

​Checks & Balances

• In addition to separation of powers, each branch can check the power of the other two, and make sure one does not become too powerful.

  • This is called checks and balances

• For example:

  • The General Assembly (legislative branch) may pass a bill, but the governor (executive branch) may veto it.

  • The governor (executive branch) may veto a bill, but the General Assembly (legislative branch) may pass the bill over the veto if it has enough votes.

  • The Georgia Supreme Court (judicial branch) can declare laws (legislative branch) unconstitutional.

• Separation of powers & checks and balances work together to limit each branch’s power and control what the government can do.

Open Ended

What do you think could happen if there were NO checks and balances or NO separation of powers in our Georgia state government and the U.S. government?

​The Georgia Flag

• Georgia’s current state flag was adopted in 2003 and features three red and white stripes and Georgia’s coat of arms from the state seal on a blue background in the upper left corner.

  • The coat of arms consists of an arch that symbolizes the state constitution, and three pillars representing the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government.

  • A symbolic word can be found on each pillar. The three words are “wisdom,” “justice,” and “moderation.”

    • Wisdom reminds the legislative branch to be wise when creating laws.

    • Justice urges the judicial branch to make fair and just decisions.

    • Moderation urges the executive branch to carry out laws within the boundaries of the law.

​The Pledge of Allegiance to the Georgia flag:
“I pledge allegiance to the Georgia flag and to the principles for which it stands: Wisdom, Justice, Moderation, and Courage.”

Courage was added in 2022. Wisdom, justice, moderation, and courage represent classic principles of good government.