South Carolina Civics: How Your State Government Works

by bam

A practical, non-partisan guide to how the state of South Carolina governs itself, and how you take part where you live. South Carolina is the classic 'legislative state': for most of its history the General Assembly dominated government, and it still ELECTS the state's judges (South Carolina and Virginia are the two states that do). You'll learn South Carolina's Constitution of 1895, its historically weak-but-strengthening governor, its unusually large plural executive of separately elected officials, its General Assembly of 46 senators and 124 representatives, how the legislature screens and elects judges, and its 46 counties. It also notes South Carolina has no citizen initiative. Time-sensitive facts are flagged, pointing to scvotes.gov. Cited to South Carolina's own official sources (scstatehouse.gov, scvotes.gov, sccourts.org).