North Carolina is one of only six states in the US where the governor does not have the power to veto legislation. The Governor is responsible for preparing and presenting the state budget to the North Carolina General Assembly.
North Carolina
governors are limited to two consecutive terms in office, after which they must wait for a term before being eligible to run again. To be eligible for election, candidates must be qualified voters in North Carolina. Historically, North Carolina's Constitution has made the state's governor one of the weakest in the nation.This is due to the harsh treatment of the state by British governors during the colonial period prior to the American Revolution. In addition, North Carolina governors have broad powers of appointment of executive branch officials, some judges, and members of boards and commissions. Recently, Governor Roy Cooper and the Republican-controlled North Carolina General Assembly have been unable to agree on legislation pertaining to governor's powers, election policies and other issues, leading to several governmental vetoes and overrides of the legislative veto. Since 1950, elections for governor in North Carolina have become increasingly competitive. Until 1977, when an amendment was added to the state constitution, North Carolina governors could only serve a single four-year term and could not run for re-election.
The table below shows the partisanship of the North Carolina state government and its State Quality of Life Index (SQLI) ranking for the years studied. North Carolina's SQLI score was in the 30s for most of the study years, with its lowest ranking in 2003, finishing in 41st place. The legislation included efforts to restructure the state board of elections, require Senate approval of cabinet-level appointments, and reduce the number of judges appointed by the governor to the North Carolina Court of Appeals. The governor's term begins Jan. 1 after his election, but they cannot serve until they have taken and signed an oath or affirmation of office before a North Carolina Supreme Court judge.
