Transcript Mr. E’s Class - Louisiana101

La. Government
Ch 4
MrE
LaHistory
Tuesday
Oct. 21, 2009
•IN THE NEWS project due
Friday
•Executive Branch chart
due Monday
1. Which government: state, federal,
or both, collects taxes?
2. How long has Gov. Jindal been in
office?
Oct. 21, 1779 ~ Spanish La.
Commander Galvez captured
New Richmond (Baton Rouge)
from the English.
Time to Think
FACT #1
If you could be an elected official what
would it be and why?
Think of local and national leaders
A judge? The Governor? A legislator?
Maybe even the President…
You have 2 minutes
Structure of Government
FACT #2
What was our definition of government?
An organization in a society with the authority 1)To
Make, 2) Carry Out, 3) and Enforce Laws
LA’s constitution follows the US constitution,
with three branches of government.
Like the US government the state powers are
divided among the Executive, Legislative, and
Judicial branches
Branches
Which branch of the government do you
think enforces laws?
The Legislative, Executive, or Judicial
branch?
Structure of Government
FACT #3
If you said the Executive branch, pat
yourself on the back!
The Executive branch
implements and
enforces laws.
Structure of State Government
Who do you think is the chief executive
officer of the state of Louisiana?
The Governor
Structure of Government
FACT #4
Some other key positions that are part of
the Executive branch are:
Lieutenant Governor
Secretary of State
Treasurer
Attorney General
Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry
Commissioner of Insurance
Structure of State Gov’t
FACT #5
Who do you think makes the laws in
Louisiana?
The Legislative branch!
The Legislative branch makes the laws
for the state of Louisiana.
Structure of Government
FACT #6
Like the United States Congress,
Louisiana’s legislature has 2 bodies-the
house of representatives and the senate.
This is known as “Bicameral” which
literally translated from Latin means “Two
Chambers”.
Structure of Government
FACT #7
Key Points
Any one old enough to vote is old enough to
be elected to the Louisiana legislature. The
candidate must be a registered voter, at
least 18 years old, and a resident of the
state for at least 2 years, and of the district
for at least 1 year.
Can you run for state legislature?
What about in 5 years?
Structure of Government
FACT #8
The Legislature writes and approves laws.
Proposed laws are known as Bills, and
they may be introduced into either
chamber of the legislature.
Only about 1/3 of the proposed
bills become law.
Structure of Government
FACT #9
That leaves us with just one branch left!
Which branch carries out (or interprets
and applies) the laws of the state and
the constitution?
The Judicial Branch
Structure of State Gov’t
FACT #10
The Judicial Branch of state government
interprets and applies the constitution and
laws of Louisiana.
There are 2 different types of law that the judicial
branch deals with.
We have covered one type known as…
Civil Law deals with the relationships
between and among people
Structure of State Government
What do you think the other type of law
could the courts deal with?
Criminal Law deal with the protection
of society from the wrongdoing of an
individual.
Structure of Government
FACT #11
What do you think are some key
positions available in the judicial branch
of state government?
Judges
District Attorneys
Jury members
Limits on Power
FACT #12
The separation of power creates a system of
Checks and Balances within the government.
The Governor can veto (or refuse to approve)
bills passed by the legislature. The Legislature
can override a veto, but must do this with a
2/3rds vote.
The Judicial branch can limit the power of the
other two branches by exercising the power of
judicial review