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Georgia_Legislators
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Glossary:





Julian Bond

Paul Coverdell

George Gilmer

Grace Towns Hamilton

Thomas Hardwick

John Milledge

Tom Murphy

Carl Sanders

James Milton Smith

Alexander Stephens

Herman Talmadge

Edward Telfair

Joseph M. Terrell

Government and Politics: an overview

Georgia Facts
Capital
Atlanta
Motto
Wisdom, Justice and Moderation
Nickname
Empire State of the South
State Song
"Georgia on My Mind"
State Tree
Live oak
State Flower
Cherokee rose
State Bird
Brown thrasher
Population (1990)
6,478,216; 11th among the states
Area
159,441 sq mi; 24th largest state
Coastline
100 mi
Highest Point
Brasstown Bald, 4784 ft
Electoral Votes
13
U.S. Congress
2 senators; 11 representatives

Georgia entered the Union on Jan. 2, 1788, as the fourth state. During the American Civil War it was a member of the Confederate States of America. Once principally a farming state, known for its considerable cotton output, Georgia in the early 1990s had an economy centered on manufacturing and service industries. Atlanta, the state capital, serves as a major economic center for the South.

Georgia's most recent constitution was adopted in 1982; previous constitutions were ratified in 1777, 1789, 1798, 1861, 1865, 1868, 1877, 1945, and 1976. State constitutional amendments may be proposed by a two-thirds vote of the legislature or by a constitutional convention; to take effect, an amendment must be ratified by a majority of the persons voting on the issue in a general election.

Georgia's governor, the chief executive, is popularly elected to a 4-year term and is prohibited from serving more than two successive terms. The same regulations apply to the lieutenant governor, who succeeds in cases of resignation, death, or removal from office. Other officials popularly elected to 4-year terms are the secretary of state, attorney general, commissioner of agriculture, commissioner of labor, commissioner of insurance, and superintendent of schools.

The bicameral Georgia legislature is the General Assembly, and it consists of a house of representatives, which has 180 members, and a senate, which has 56 members. All state representatives and state senators are popularly elected to 2-year terms. Georgia's highest tribunal is the supreme court, made up of seven justices popularly elected to 6-year terms. The chief justice is elected by the court for the duration of the justice's term of office. The second highest court is the court of appeals, consisting of nine judges popularly elected to 6-year terms. The principal trial courts are the superior courts, which have 148 judges.

County government is important in Georgia. In the early 1990s the state had 159 counties, almost all of which were administered by boards of commissioners. Most cities and towns were governed by popularly elected mayors and councils. Georgia is represented in the U.S. Congress by 2 senators and 11 representatives. The state has 13 electoral votes in presidential elections.

The Democratic party has dominated state and local politics in Georgia. Democrats have held the highest executive office continuously in the state since 1872, and they retain control of both houses of the state legislature by large majorities. The Democratic party also dominated national politics in the state from 1872 through 1960. In 1964, however, Georgia cast its electoral votes for a Republican presidential candidate for the first time when George Wallace carried the state in 1968. Jimmy Carter, a one-term governor, (1971-75) in 1976 became the first native Georgian to win election to the U.S. presidency. Having represented Georgia as a U.S. House member since 1979, Newt Gingrich became Speaker of the House in 1995 and was reelected in 1998.

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