Unit 11
Modern Georgia
PowerPoint #3
Learning Targets
Explain the importance of significant social,
economic, and political developments in Georgia
since 1970.
a. Consequences of the end of the county unit
system and reapportionment.
b. Role of Jimmy Carter in Georgia as state
senator, governor, president, and past
president.
c.
d.
e.
Impact of the rise of the two-party system
in Georgia.
Effect of the 1996 Olympic Games on Georgia.
Importance of new immigrant communities to
the growth and economy of Georgia.
State Flag
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In 1956, Georgia’s leaders
adopted a new state flag.
This upset many African
Americans because it looked like a
Confederate battle flag and they
felt that it was a symbol of racism.
Georgia would keep the flag for
45 years.
In 2001, state leaders replaced it.
This upset many white Georgians
who felt that it honored the
southern past.
Then
Now
The Primary
Primary = a special kind of election. Members
of a political party vote to decide who will
represent them in the election
 For many years, the Democratic Party was the
most powerful party in Georgia.
 Whoever won the Democratic primary was sure
to win the election.
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The White Primary
Before 1944, Georgia’s
Democratic Party had a
white primary.
 Only whites could vote.
 This kept African
Americans from having
any say in state politics.
 In 1944, the U.S.
Supreme Court declared
white primaries illegal.
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In
the 1960s, two rulings by
the federal district court
brought dramatic change to
Georgia’s political structure.
End of the County Unit System
In April 1962, the Georgia federal court ruled that the
county unit system (designed to give power to the
rural areas of the state even though the urban areas
had a greater population) was unconstitutional.
2) Result = the majority of the representatives in the
Georgia house came from urban areas.
1)
Leroy Johnson
Gave predominantly black
population areas equal
opportunity to elect legislative
representatives.
 In a 1962 election, Atlanta
attorney Leroy Johnson became
the first African American state
senator in Georgia since
Reconstruction.
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Reapportionment
The act of political leaders
redrawing the boundaries of
a voting district.
 In 1964, the Supreme Court
rules that voting districts
had to be equal in
population size.
 The court also said that the
districts had to provide fair
representation for all
citizens.
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One-Person, One-Vote
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Every citizen’s vote should be equal to
every other citizen’s vote no matter where
the person lived.
The General Assembly had to reapportion
(redraw) its Congressional voting districts to
ensure that the districts were of equal
population sizes.
 These two decisions did more than just shift
political power from rural to urban areas.
 New laws and new voting
districts changed the way
candidates ran for office
in Georgia.
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Jimmy Carter
Born in Plains, Georgia on
October 1, 1924
 Graduated from U.S. Naval
Academy at Annapolis
 Served in the Navy for 7 years
 Took over family warehouse
and cotton gin businesses and
peanut farm in Plains
 Georgia Senator
 Georgia Governor
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As Georgia’s Governor
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Reorganized State’s executive branch
Cut the number of government agencies from 300 to 25
Unified the courts
Changed the selection of judges to a merit process
Appointed the first woman as a
state judge
Created the Georgia Heritage Trust (protected
our state’s natural/cultural resources)
Worked to equalize funding for public schools
Supported integration
Expanded special education, vocational
education and pre-school education
Expanded state mental health services
As U.S. President
Established a national energy policy
 Completed major civil service reforms
 Expanded the National Park system
 Deregulated the trucking and airline industries
 Created the Department of Education
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Problems
Inflation and interest rates high
 Efforts to reduce them created a short-term
recession
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Foreign Policy
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Negotiated the 1978 Camp David Peace Accords between Israel
and Egypt = the first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab
neighboring state.
Obtained congressional ratification of the Panama Canal
treaties
Established full diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic
of China
After Russia invaded Afghanistan in 1979, withdrew the US
from 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow and increased aid to
Pakistan.
Championed worldwide human rights.
Iranian Hostage
In November 1979, militants took control of the
U.S. Embassy in Iran and seized 52 Americans
and took them captive for 14 months.
 Iran did not release the hostages until 1981 on
Carter’s last day in office.
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After Carter’s Presidency
Returned to Plains
 Won Nobel Peace Prize (2002)
 Remembered most for his
efforts to:
Negotiate Peace
Defeat Diseases
Ensure Fair Elections Around
the World
Build Affordable Housing
(Habitat for Humanity)
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Rise of the Two-Party System
Things started to change during the 1960s
when many white Georgians did not like the
way the Democratic presidents had supported
civil rights laws.
 In 1962, a Georgia Republican won a seat in
Congress.
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In 1964, a Republican
running for president won the
most votes in Georgia during
a presidential election.
Democrats vs. Republicans
During the 1980s and 1990s, politics in
Georgia continued to shift.
 While Democrats continued
to be elected to statewide
offices, Republicans tended
to be favored in national
elections.
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Republicans in Senate
In 1980, Mack Mattingly
of St. Simons Island was
the first Republican
elected to the U.S.
Senate from Georgia
since Reconstruction.
 In 1992, Republicans
won most of Georgia’s
congressional elections.
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Cynthia McKinney
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With the exception
– Democrat Cynthia
McKinney became
the first African
American woman
from Georgia
elected to Congress.
Republicans in House
In 1994, Republicans
gained a majority in the
US House of
Representatives for the
first time in 40 years.
 Georgia’s Newt Gingrich
was elected Speaker of
the House
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Sonny Perdue
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In 2002, Republicans ended over 100 years of
Democratic rule with the election of Sonny
Perdue as Georgia’s Governor.
Democrats Hang On
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In that same election, the Democratic
party maintained control of the General
Assembly, but voters chose Republicans
for the U.S. Senate seat and the majority
of representatives for the U.S. House.
1996 Olympic Games
Held in Atlanta
 4 Long-Term Benefits to the State:
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1) Millions of dollars were spent to create world-class
competition facilities (Olympic Stadium, Georgia Horse Park,
Wolf Creek Shooting Range Complex, Stone Mountain
Tennis Facility, Lake Lanier Rowing Center,
GA Tech and GSU Residence Facilities)
2) International Recognition to Atlanta
3) Volunteer Programs, Educational and Training
Programs, and Employment Opportunities
4) Economic Impact to Georgia’s Economy
Centennial Olympic Park Bombing
July 29, 1996
 Killed Alice Hawthorne of Albany
 Wounded 117
 Athletes and Spectators were scared.
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Immigrants
Dalton = Carpet Mills
 Gainesville = Poultry Industry
 South Georgia = Vidalia Onion Industry
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Immigrant populations impact Georgia’s
economy in a large way.
 Thousands of immigrants live and work all over
Georgia and assist in many jobs and
businesses.
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Hispanic Community
The fastest growing immigrant community
in Georgia is the Hispanic Community.
 Georgia’s current Hispanic population is
roughly four times what it was just 20
years ago.
 Schools, businesses, churches, and public
agencies now rely more on Spanish as
they serve a growing population that does
not speak English as a first language.
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Illegal Immigration
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Today, few political & social issues cause as much
controversy as illegal immigration.
In 2006, Georgia’s General Assembly passed the
Security & Immigration Compliance Act in an effort
to clamp down on illegal immigration in Georgia.
It requires people seeking state benefits to prove
that they are a legal resident.
It also requires police to confirm the legal status of
anyone they arrest and penalize employers who
continue to hire illegal immigrants.