The Three Branches of Georgia’s State Government

The framers of the U.S. Constitution had a shared goal: create a government with a set system of checks and balances. This way, no single political party, office, individual, or group could hold all the power at the federal, state, or local level. To ensure this balance, they created three separate branches of government:

  • Legislative – Creates laws
  • Executive – Implements and enforces laws
  • Judicial – Assesses and interprets laws

These three branches are a core part of federal and state government. Local governments also divide responsibilities among elected officials, courts, and administrative offices, though their structures can vary.

Legislative

The Georgia General Assembly is made up of the Georgia Senate and the Georgia House of Representatives. It is in charge of creating, debating and determining the laws that guide our state. The Georgia General Assembly also has the power to:

  • Determine the state’s operating budget.
  • Consider proposed amendments to the Georgia Constitution. If both chambers pass  a proposal with two-thirds of members giving it a “yea” (yes) vote, the question will be put to Georgia voters in an upcoming election.
  • Establish legislative districts. Every 10 years, the General Assembly uses population data from the U.S. Census to draw district boundaries for the state House, state Senate, and U.S. House.

At the local level, legislative decisions are generally handled by city councils, county commissions, and other local governing bodies.

To learn more about the Legislative Branch, read Article 3 of the State of Georgia Constitution.

Executive

Georgia’s main executive official and head of state is the governor. Elected to a 4-year term by Georgia voters, the governor isn’t allowed to hold office more than 2 consecutive terms. Along with overseeing the state budget and leading the state's executive branch agencies and offices, the governor is in charge of:

  • Enforcing laws and maintaining peace
  • Serving as commander in chief of Georgia's military forces, including the Georgia National Guard when under state authority
  • Vetoing, approving, or taking no action on legislation passed by the Georgia General Assembly
  • Filling unexpected vacancies in the Senate, House of Representatives, and other public offices
  • Convening special sessions of the Georgia Assembly
  • Appointing or nominating certain officials to state positions, as provided by law. Some appointments require confirmation or approval.

The other elected members of the executive branch include: 

  • Lieutenant governor
  • Secretary of state
  • Attorney general
  • State school superintendent
  • The commissioners of agriculture, insurance, and labor

This is only an overview of the different roles and services managed by the executive branch, which also includes various agencies, boards, and commissions.

To learn more about the Executive Branch, read Article 5 of the State of Georgia Constitution.

Judicial

Georgia’s judicial system includes appellate courts, trial courts, and other courts with specialized statewide jurisdiction. Its appellate courts are the Supreme Court of Georgia and the Court of Appeals of Georgia. Trial-level courts include superior, state, probate, juvenile, magistrate and other courts authorized by law.

Georgia’s Judicial System is overseen by the Judicial Council. Its job is to develop policies for administering and improving our state courts. The Council is staffed by the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) and is led by the chief justice (chairperson) and the presiding justice (vice chairperson) of our state’s Supreme Court. 

To learn more about the Judicial Branch, read Article 6 of the State of Georgia Constitution.

 


Last updated July 2026