Overview

Read on for some statistics and insights about the level of civic engagement, political engagement and a “state of the state” overview of Georgia.

 

Civic and Political Engagement

According to the Corporation for National and Community Service for 2018:

  • 26.5% of residents volunteer, ranking them 44th among the 50 states and Washington, DC.
  • 2,123,245  volunteers
  • 187.9 million hours of service
  • $4.5 billion worth of service contributed

Looking at political engagement specifically, according to this 2018 Wallethub.com study, Georgia ranks #38 based on a weighted average across the following metrics:

  • Percentage of Registered Voters in the 2016 Presidential Election
  • Percentage of Electorate Who Actually Voted in the 2014 Midterm Elections
  • Percentage of Electorate Who Actually Voted in the 2016 Presidential Election
  • Change in Percentage of Electorate Who Actually Voted in the 2016 Elections Compared with the 2012 Elections
  • Total Political Contributions per Adult Population
  • Civic Education Engagement, CIRCLE
  • Voter Accessibility Policies, Ballotpedia

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Center for Responsive Politics, Ballotpedia and Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, CIRCLE.

 

Women in Georgia Politics

As of 2018, there are 50 women legislators in the Georgia House of Representatives, and 13 in the Georgia State Senate – for a total of 63 out of 236 seats in both chambers. This equals 26.7% of the legislature (Source: NCSL).

See how many women serve in Georgia’s executive offices here.

Georgia ranks 40th in women’s equality – based on workplace environment (pay, unemployment and entrepreneurship rate disparity), education environment (education levels and math and reading scores), and political empowerment (disparity in elected offices) (Source: Wallethub).

 

What color is Georgia?

Georgia has 16 electoral votes. Its growing population has allowed Georgia to gain at least one electoral vote in each of the last three Census reapportionments. According to 270towin, “Georgia has been reliably Republican since 1972, except when a southern Democrat was on the ticket – Georgians sided with native son Jimmy Carter in 1976 and 1980 and Bill Clinton in 1992. In 2004, George Bush easily defeated John Kerry by 58% to 41%. Republican margins have been more narrow since then, as the state’s rapidly growing population has led to some shifts in overall demographics. In 2016, Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton by about 5%.”

 

State of the State

State Government Structure

The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of Georgia. It is bicameral and comprised  of the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate. Since 2005, Georgia has been a Republican state government trifecta, meaning that a single political party (in this case the Republican party) holds the governorship, a majority in the state senate, and a majority in the state house.

The Georgia Senate has 56 members who serve for two-year terms. Each Senator represented an average of  172,994 residents, as of the 2010 Census. There are 180 members of the Georgia House of Representatives, also elected for two-year terms. Each member represented an average of 53,820 residents, as of the 2010 Census (Ballotpedia).

 

 

Budget Process

The state operates on an annual budget cycle.  The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:

  1. In July of the year preceding the start of the new fiscal year, the governor sends budget instructions to state agencies.
  2. In September agencies submit their budget requests to the governor.
  3. Budget hearings are held with state agencies in November and December.
  4. Public hearings are held in late January.
  5. In January the governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature.
  6. The legislature adopts a budget in March or April, effective for the fiscal year beginning in July. A simple majority is required to pass a budget.

The governor is constitutionally required to submit a balanced budget to the legislature. In turn, the legislature must pass a balanced budget, and any budget signed into law by the governor must be balanced.

Georgia is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority (Ballotpedia).

 

Business Climate

A 2018 CNBC study ranks Georgia #7 in terms of overall business climate:

 

 

Freedom

Georgia ranks #12 in Cato Institute’s 2018 Freedom in the 50 states. The overall freedom ranking is a combination of personal and economic freedoms.

 

Additional Resources

  • PEW Fiscal 50: State Trends and Analysis
  • PEW Women in Leadership  – see analysis of women in leadership on a national scale
  • National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) Fiscal Survey of States
  • Compare 50 – pick what stats you want to compare with what states here
  • State Data Lab – compare a variety of factors among states here
  • Freedom in the 50 States 2018  – Cato
  • Tax Foundation facts and figures app is available for download

 

What You Can Do

As detailed above, Georgians have expansive potential for engaging in civic-minded and fiscally responsible activity.  By forming Policy Circles across the state, women can lead the way in ensuring that policies are working and responding to individual needs at the local level.


Here’s what you can do:   

  • Click “It’s easy, start now” at www.thepolicycircle.org  to start a circle in your area.  
  • Read our “Year of Conversation” for an overview of policy briefs on key issues affecting the country and your state.
  • Connect with Georgia Center for Opportunity, your state think tank and best resource for state level information on key policy issues.  
  • Tell a friend or family member about The Policy Circle by sending them to www.thepolicycircle.org.  Any woman who believes in the power of free markets to unleash human creativity can start a Policy Circle in her area.