The Legislative Branch
This city is where our legislative branch meets to make decisions about laws.
What is Olympia, Washington?
This court is considered the highest ranking in Washington State.
This person is considered the head of our state's executive branch.
Who is the governor? (Jay Inslee)
The Governor can check Washington's legislative branch by doing this to any newly passed laws he doesn't like.
What is veto?
These kinds of governments exist alongside the U.S. government, established by treaties in the 19th century.
What are tribal governments?
The state legislature is responsible for approving this plan for our state's spending every two years.
What is a budget?
This person is the current Chief Justice of the Washington State Supreme Court.
Who is Steven C. Gonzalez?
This person is responsible for overseeing the state's education system and ensuring every child receives a quality education.
Who is the Superintendent of Public Instruction? (Chris Reykdal)
What is impeachment?
This public service is uniquely highlighted in Washington's state constitution, which promises to fully fund it.
What is public education?
Before a law has been passed, when legislators are still discussing and deciding on its details, the document is called this.
What is a bill?
This is where someone would take their court case if they were unsatisfied with their first court's ruling.
What is an appeals court?
This person acts as Washington's head lawyer, and is responsible for defending our government and making sure it follows the law.
Who is the Attorney General? (Bob Ferguson)
Congress has this power over the executive branch, voting to accept or deny people chosen by the president or governor for important positions, like Supreme Court Justice.
This is one of the main ways tribal governments generate money to pay for their services, rather than taxing their residents.
What are casinos?
These two separately elected groups create the two halves of our state legislature.
Who are representatives and senators?
(House of Representatives and Senate)
These kinds of cases do not involve a crime, and are often about settling a financial dispute.
What is a civil case?
This individual is responsible for organizing our state elections and guaranteeing their security.
Who is the secretary of state?
The judicial branch can strike down a law passed by the legislative branch by ruling that it is this, meaning it goes against a fundamental part of our state's constitution.
What is unconstitutional?
This vocabulary word describes the relationship between the powers of our state government and the powers of the federal government in Washington, D.C.
What is federalism?
CHALLENGE QUESTION: Name one state legislator elected from our local community.
Options include: Sharon Shewmake, Simon Sefzik, Liz Lovelett, Alicia Rule, Debra Lekanoff, and/or Alex Ramel.
These two lowest types of courts are very similar, the only difference being whether they are set up by cities or the county.
What are municipal and district courts?
This person is responsible for taking care of Washington's natural resources, which includes organizing teams to fight forest fires.
Who is the Commissioner of Public Lands?
CHALLENGE QUESTION: In one sentence, explain why our government has checks and balances in place.
Checks and balances make it difficult for a single branch of government to gain too much power, preventing one group from controlling too much of our government.
CHALLENGE QUESTION: This "C" word refers to the powers shared by both state and federal government.
What are concurrent powers?