A committee of the U.S. Senate that oversees the military and defense policy.

Created in 1946, the Senate Armed Services Committee has legislative oversight on the U.S. departments of Defense, the Army, the Navy and the Air Force; military research and development; military uses of nuclear energy; pay and benefits for members of the military, among other things.

Six.

Since North Carolina became a state in 1776, six governors have served more than one non-consecutive terms, especially in the early years.

Richard Caswell: Served from 1776 to 1780 and from 1784 to 1787.

Oversees spending of tax dollars.

The office is required to perform financial audits on a set schedule. The auditor is also empowered to perform performance audits and investigative audits on his or her own initiative or on the basis of tips given through an anonymous hot line.

The first female legislator in North Carolina and the first female legislator in the South.

Born near Black Mountain in 1894, Lillian Exum Clement went to high school in Asheville and studied at Asheville Business College. Working as a sheriff's deputy, she studied law in her spare time, and was admitted to the bar in 1917.

Oversees programs regulating water and air quality and protecting wildlife, wilderness and coastal areas.

As head of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the governor-appointed secretary supervises state programs protecting the environment, managing state parks and forests and educating the public on natural resources.

Oversees state highways, mass transit, ferries and other transportation programs.

As head of the N.C. Department of Transportation, the governor-appointed secretary supervises the state's divisions on highways, mass transit and railroads, as well as aviation, bicycle and pedestrian trails and ferries.

Oversees the state prison system and related programs.

As head of the N.C. Department of Correction, the governor-appointed secretary supervises the state's prisons as well as probation, parole and community supervision programs.

Oversees the state's social welfare and health care programs.

As head of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, the governor-appointed secretary manages state health programs, mental health services and employment assistance, among other programs.

Oversees state tax collection.

As head of the N.C. Department of Revenue, the governor-appointed secretary supervises the administration and enforcement of state tax laws.

Supervises the state's interactions with young criminals and at-risk youth.

As head of the N.C. Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the governor-appointed secretary oversees juvenile court services and crime prevention programs.

Supervises the behind-the-scenes business of state government.

As head of the N.C. Department of Administration, the governor-appointed secretary acts as the business manager for the state.

Leads cultural outreach and historical preservation programs around the state.

As head of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the governor-appointed secretary oversees the State Historic Preservation Office, the State Library, state museums of history and art and the State Archives.

Oversees the state's law enforcement, homeland security and emergency response efforts.

As head of the N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, the governor-appointed secretary is in charge of a number of police-related agencies, including the State Highway Patrol, Alcohol Law Enforcement, the National Guard and Emergency Management.

Leads the state's efforts to recruit and retain businesses.

As the head of the N.C. Department of Commerce, the governor-appointed secretary works to recruit and retain major employers, negotiate corporate incentives and boost state tourism.

Seven Cabinet members appointed by Gov. Mike Easley in 2001 who stayed through the end of his administration.

Ten appointees who run state departments.

The governor of North Carolina appoints people to run state departments not overseen by elected members of the Council of State.

Voters must make their choice for president separate from the straight-ticket option.

In nearly all states that allow voters to choose all of the candidates from a political party, the so-called straight-ticket option includes the presidential race.

An independent group running ads attacking Republican gubernatorial nominee Pat McCrory.

As a so-called "527" tax-exempt organization, the Alliance for North Carolina cannot run political ads for or against candidates, though it can run "issue ads" that are negative about a candidate.

A national advocacy group of Republican elected officials from the city level.

In paperwork submitted to the Internal Revenue Service in 2002, the group described its mission:

A group of conservative Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Blue Dog Coalition was formed in 1994 to help conservative Democrats present a unified front on issues such as the national debt and taxes.

A nonprofit founded by Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue to promote defense spending in North Carolina.

The N.C. Military Foundation incorporated as a tax-exempt 501(c)(6) on Sept. 6, 2006, with a stated mission of "preparing North Carolina businesses to meet the contractual needs of existing U.S. Military facilities" and fostering the "proper public policy environment" to boost military spending here.

A potential area for oil drilling off the Outer Banks.

In 1981, three oil companies — Mobil Corp., Marathon and Amerada Hess Corp. — began leasing an area about 45 miles off Cape Hatteras called the Manteo Exploration Unit. 

The commissioner heads the N.C. Department of Labor.

The state department is charged by statute with promoting the "health, safety, and general well-being" of more than 4 million workers across the state.

An annual dinner held in the spring or Raleigh by the state Democratic Party since 1930.

The event serves three purposes: Raising money for the party, rallying the faithful ahead of the May primaries and serving as a platform for state candidates.

A Raleigh public relations firm that frequently does work in North Carolina politics.

The firm was started in 1994 as Capital Strategies by public relations consultants Ken Eudy and Steve Meehan.

A liberal Web site in North Carolina.

The site started in the winter of 2005, and is managed by BlueNC LLC, a limited liability corporation formed on March 8, 2006, by Lance McCord Jr., John C. Livingston and James Protzman.

A payment from the federal government to help tobacco farmers transition to other types of farming.

The Tobacco Transition Payment Program pays quota holders and producers for not growing the crop on their farms.The buyout program was established on Oct. 22, 2004, when President Bush signed the Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act.

E-Verify is a voluntary online program that Congress began in 1997.

The free program was available to California, Florida, Illinois and Texas in 1997. In 1999 it was expanded to Nebraska, and in December 2004 the program was expanded to all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The right of government employees to negotiate a group contract.

A North Carolina law first passed in 1959 expressly forbids any city, town, county or state agency to negotiate with a union on behalf of government employees.

Oversees the activities of the office of the Commissioner of Banks, reviews bank merger, charter and relocation applications and North Carolina banking laws.

The Commission consists of the state treasurer and 21 appointed members. Thirteen members represent the borrowing public, six are practical bankers and two are savings institution CEOs.