A. The Executive Branch. Discuss why you think we need (or do not need) eight different statewide elected officials. Why not just have a governor and a cabinet appointed by the governor? Explain your answer using the information available.
Administering California’s state government belongs to the duties of the executive branch, which is led by the state Governor. The office of Governor consists of other executive officers, including the Governor himself (Edmund G. Brown Jr. at present) and his Cabinet, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Controller, Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction and Insurance Commissioner. All eight of state officials are elected by all state citizens on the even numbered term of 4 years, provided there is no presidential election during the period (Waste and Cowden 12).
In my opinion, we do not need so many officials in the state, and there are some obvious evidences to support this opinion.
Firstly, the Governor’s Cabinet serves as his advisory body, including Cabinet Secretary, Chief of Staff and as many departments, as it is needed for the Governor’s proper functioning. A month ago, California Governor Jerry Brown announced as many as four new appointments to his office, including the Department of Business and Economic Development, Department of Consumer Affairs and educational facilities Authority ("Office Of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. - Newsroom"). These undertaken steps mean that the Governor needs more people in his surrounding, who may be of a bigger use that the other seven elected officials.
Secondly, all the other elected officials, apart from the Governor and his Cabinet, have become so-called “plural executive” (Lawrence and Cummins 134,158). They have been struggling for power for years, though their powers are mostly limited by administrative ones. Moreover, the political independence of “plural executives” is actually not possible, although they may enter other political parties and oppose the current Governor’s agenda. Such a controversial political behavior may seriously influence the coordinated work of the Cabinet and therefore California’s political state of things in general.
Thirdly, according to the data of Citizens Compensation Commission, the salaries of statewide elected officials are twice higher than the salary of an average American and since 2014 they have risen by $4-5 thousand ("Salaries - CCCC"). Having examined the facts discussed above, it can be concluded that the “plural executive” officials are not so beneficial neither in political nor in financial aspects, so it is worth pondering why the California state should pay for their existence.
B. The Governor. Why is it a hard job? Do you think the governor has much influence, or is our state mainly run by other factors such as the economy, the legislature and public opinion?
Being at the top of executive state branch, the Governor’s job cannot be called easy. Governor Brown serves as the Chief Executive of California Government, and exercises his power according to the Constitution of California state. The Governor issues executive orders, which are typically based on his existing powers and which may only affect state agencies. The announcements of the appointments as well as proclamations are under the power of the Governor either. The Office of Edmund G. Brown Jr. runs the internship program, which has been specially designed for undergraduate students, who are interested in politics. Internships are available in a variety of offices with minor limitations and are free of charge ("Office Of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. - Internship Program").
Still, the Governor’s authority is limited in many state issues, which are going to be discussed below. The Governor, for instance, does not have the power over federal agencies of policies. Main federal issues are under the jurisdiction of California’s federal elected officials in the US Senate and House of Representatives. The same can be said about judicial issues. The Governor’s office cannot provide legal assistance, as well as intervene in court cases. Local issues are under the jurisdiction of the local government, therefore Sir Edmund G. Brown Jr. is not empowered to assist on them ("Office Of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. - FAQ").
Taking into consideration all the above-mentioned facts, it is quite difficult to claim that the Governor influences the state’s development a lot. Despite all his responsibilities, the Governor actually has the symbolic administrative-executive powers, and if the executive branch really does not need all the statewide elected officials, the California Constitution should be then reconsidered in many points, to empower the Governor with more duties and responsibilities.
C. The State Budget. Explain why our state leaders often have troubles agreeing on a budget. Are we electing ineffective leaders, or is the problem related to the structure of our representative government and our tax system? As Californians, what could we do to achieve a stable budget that will address important needs?
The California’s state budget actually includes all the goals and objectives for the year and highlights the essential issues, policies and initiatives of the state’s Administration. Economists agree that California’s budget is not strong enough to save the state from possible ups and downs in the future. Although the tax revenues are higher than expected, with the rising of house prices and income booming, as well as decreasing the unemployment levels, the situation is not as cloudless as it may seem at a first glance. Compared to 1950’s, the fiscal take with the income tax was only 10%, while the 2014’s figure was as much as 64%. Troubles may appear from overspent money, which was not invested in the liabilities. According to a recent report by a former chairman of Federal Reserve, “ the state is burdened with $195 billion of promises, which it cannot afford to keep, while retired public workers expect full pensions as well as reliable health coverage” (The Economist 2).
In my opinion, the budget problems are connected only with the state leaders, who, by eternally fighting for more power, forget about simple citizens. The poorest people may suffer from these financial swings in the future, as they belong to the most unprotected population layer.
In order to protect Californians from unexpected financial troubles, a special project called Next 10 has been created as an independent, nonpartisan organization with the aim to educate the citizens about the state’s budget and empower them to improve the state’s future. Next 10 created California Budget Challenge in 2005 alongside with online voting option to affect the budget in real-time with instant-response clickers ("California Budget Challenge").
D. The Courts. Discuss how the judicial branch works in California government. You might mention what you found out from reading these chapters. (Did you know we have a State Supreme Court?) What role do voters have in shaping the judicial branch and the legal system in our state?
The judicial branch in California has the main responsibility of interpreting the laws of the state. It is empowered to settle the disputes between the controversial parties, determine the guilt or innocence of the accused suspects, and protect the rights of Californians. The California judgment system serves over 34 million people and includes approximately 2000 judicial officers. The head of judicial branch in California is the Chief Justice, who is appointed by the Governor.
California’s judicial branch functions well thanks to coordinated work of its four major components: the courts themselves, branch agencies, branch administration and policy and state bar of California. The highest court in the state is the Supreme Court of California. All the other California courts are obliged to fulfill the Supreme Court’s decisions, while it has the constitutional right to review the decisions of the state Courts of Appeal. The Supreme Court conducts regular sessions in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento, but it also has the right to conduct sessions in any other city or town ("About The Supreme Court - Supreme_Court").
California voters also have the possibility to shape the judicial branch of California. For example, in 1998 Californians passed an amendment to the state’s Constitution. The amendment provided the unification of municipal and superior courts in each county into one trial court system. By 2001, all the 58 counties voted for the unification operations. Since that time, the state funding in supporting trial court operations as well as the judicial branch in general has considerably increased.
Works Cited
"About The Supreme Court - Supreme_Court". Courts.ca.gov. N.p., 2016. Web. 6 May 2016.
"California Budget Challenge". Budgetchallenge.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 6 May 2016.
Lawrence, David G. and Jeff Cummins. California: The Politics Of Diversity. 8th ed. Cengage Learning, 2014. Print.
"Office Of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. - FAQ". Gov.ca.gov. N.p., 2016. Web. 6 May 2016.
"Office Of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. - Internship Program". Gov.ca.gov. N.p., 2016. Web. 6 May 2016.
"Office Of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. - Newsroom". Gov.ca.gov. N.p., 2016. Web. 5 May 2016.
"Salaries - CCCC". Calhr.ca.gov. N.p., 2016. Web. 5 May 2016.
The Economist,. "California’S Budget: Trouble Ahead". 2015: 1,2. Web. 6 May 2016.
Waste, Dr. Robert and Dr. Anne Cowden. GUIDE TO THE CALIFORNIA STATE EXECUTIVE BRANCH. 2nd ed. Sacramento: Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, 2004. Web. 5 May 2016.
