Transcript Chapter 11 Alabama Government

Chapter 11 Alabama
Government
Mrs. Wallace
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Montgomery became the capital of Alabama in 1846.
The capitol was built on a hill at the end of Dexter
Avenue. It is called Goat Hill because Mr. Andrew
Dexter’s goats once grazed there.
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http://www.preserveala.org/capitoltour.htm
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http://www.alabama.gov/sliverheader/Welcome.do?url=h
ttp://archives.alabama.gov/kidspage/kids.html
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The Alabama State House is where the legislature
meets and legislators have offices.
Montgomery, Alabama
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The capitol burned on December 14, 1849.
Daniel Pratt worked on the design for the new
building. Horace King helped design the
building’s spiral staircase.
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Did you know: The chandelier in the old senate
chamber hangs from the ceiling that has been
painted to look as though it were carved. This
style of painting is called trompe l’ oeil (tromp
loy), a French term, meaning “to fool the eye.”
Inside the capitol
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In the period 1926-30, the famous artist
Roderick MacKenzie painted murals on the
walls of the rotunda of the capitol. These
paintings illustrate people and events in
Alabama history.
Inside the capitol
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The Alabama Constitution has 3 branches of
government:
The executive, or governor’s office
The legislative, which is the house of
representatives and the senate
The judiciary, or court system
Checks and balances: each branch of government
has a check on the other branches
No one branch has more power than the other
Alabama Constitution
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Governor:
responsible for leading the state and enforcing its
laws.
must be at least 30 years of age when elected and
have been a citizen of the United States for 10
years
must have been a resident of Alabama for 7 years
elected every four years and can serve two terms
in a row
Oversees various departments of the state:
department of transportation, the state police, and
the department of education
Governor and the Executive Branch
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The heads of the state departments make up the
governor’s cabinet.
Secretary of state, treasurer, attorney general, state
auditor, and the commissioner of agriculture, are
elected in statewide elections.
The Lieutenant governor is elected at the same time
as the governor. They become governor should the
governor die or become sick and unable to fulfill the
duties of the office. The Lieutenant governor
presides over the senate.
http://www.alabama.gov/portal/secondaryContent.js
p?page=KidsPage
Governor’s cabinet
Home of the governor and his or her family
 Mansion belongs to the people of Alabama
 A rug with the Alabama coat of arms is in the
foyer
 Swimming pool is in the shape of the state of
Alabama
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Governor’s Mansion
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Composed of the senate and the house of
representatives
35 senators elected for four-year terms
Must be at least 25 and a resident of the state for at
least 3 years- lieutenant governor presides over the
senate
105 members of the house of representatives
Must be 21 and a resident of the state for at least 3
years
Speaker of the house is elected by the house
members and presides over the house of
representatives
Legislature
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Members of the house of representatives and the
senate write bills, which are drafts of possible laws.
When a bill receives a majority vote in both houses
and is signed by the governor, it becomes an act
and is then a law.
http://www.schoolhouserock.tv/Bill.html
2 kinds of law:
Constitutional laws- laws that come from the
constitution
Statutory laws- laws passed by the Alabama house
and senate and signed by the governor
Legislature
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Judiciary system is the court system
The highest court in the state is the Alabama
Supreme Court.
Court interprets the law
Civil appeals refers to disputes between people
Criminal appeals refers to violations of the law
Court System
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The state constitution establishes local
municipal and county governments. They are
responsible for local services, including law
enforcement and fire protection.
State Constitution
Democracy means that the people choose.
Citizens vote to determine who will conduct the
business of government.
 Voters must be citizens of the state and at least
18 years old.
 Voting is an important responsibility of
citizenship.
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Voting
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Being citizens in a democracy means we have
rights, privileges, and duties. Our rights and
privileges of citizenship include freedom of speech,
freedom of religion, and the right to a trial by jury.
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Freedom of speech- we can say what we want
Freedom of religion- we can worship what we want
Right to a trial by jury- we can have a trial with
jurors of our peers
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Citizenship