ipl-logo

The Consequences Of California's '4th Branch' Of Government: The Initiative

2046 Words9 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Compare and contrast state and federal government

Part 1 The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and it lays out the framework for the federal government and the relationship between the federal government and the states. Article 4, Section 4 guarantees "to every state in the union" a republican form of government, allowing for a variety in state governance. California, as one of the most populous states in the country, has its unique governance model. In this essay, we will discuss the differences between the California and federal models, the goals of the Progressive movement, and the legal guidelines and consequences of California's "4th Branch" of government: The Initiative. A) Differences between the California and federal models Although both the California …show more content…

Legal guidelines for initiative legislation are set forth in the California Constitution and the California Elections Code. To begin the initiative process, a citizen or group of citizens must submit a proposed initiative to the Secretary of State. The initiative must be written in a specific format and contain a summary of the proposed legislation. Once an initiative is submitted, citizens must collect a certain number of signatures from registered voters in California to be eligible to vote on the initiative. The number of signatures required depends on the type of initiative and the number of registered voters in the …show more content…

Interest groups are essential to the legislative process because they represent the interests of specific groups of people and provide a means for those people to have their voices heard in government. By working to influence policymakers, interest groups help to ensure that the needs and concerns of their members are taken into account when laws are

Show More
Related

How California Became Unforgivable Summary

709 Words | 3 Pages

To start, Roberts and Trounstine briefly describe these six factors. Proposition 13 changed California's political landscape and takes power away from local services. It "tangled" the relationship between local and state governments by shifting control of the remaining property tax revenue in Sacramento, according to them. Next are

Read More

California Rising The Life And Times Of Pat Brown Summary

1065 Words | 5 Pages

Rarick states that this is the turning point of what the American experience is, New York being the old and California being the new. Through the story of the life and times of Pat Brown we witness an extraordinary period that changed the entire country’s view of itself and its most famous state. Pat Brown was the perfect person to serve as California governor (1959-1965) during a period of both booming population and economic growth. Brown served as the city’s district attorney in San Francisco and the state’s attorney general before being elected governor. Brown was a natural politician.

Read More

Similarities Between California And Us Constitution

279 Words | 2 Pages

The California and United States Constitution are similar and different in many ways, an example that manifests this is in California’s constitution where the Governor has the power to “line veto” a bill, meaning that he has the power to address some parts of a bill with still the availability of ignoring certain fragments. While in the United States, the president can “pocket veto” a law but cannot pick which sections he’d wish to keep or get rid of. However if he does not act within ten days of receiving the bill it can become a law without the presidential signature. Some similarities that reside between the two can be found in article three of the California Constitution, which divides the state government into three branches Legislative,

Read More

Differences And Similarities Between The Constitutions Of California And Oregon

158 Words | 1 Pages

1. The US Constitution, along with the Constitutions of both California and Oregon seem to be arranged in similar fashion. All contain a preamble followed by Articles and Sections, but the similarities between them seemingly end here. In the Constitutions of both California and Oregon, the Bill of Rights can be found within Article I. Whereas in our Us Constitution the Bill of Rights is not seen until the first 10 Amendments have been added presumably nearly two years after. It is evident that while writing the US Constitution, our forefathers were most concerned with the presumption of power by the government.

Read More

Interest Groups: National Rifle Association And Brady Campaign

945 Words | 4 Pages

An interest group is a group of people that tries to take action on a political issue or concern. The goal of an interest group is to recruit politicians as endorsements and persuade the government to take action on their respective issue. There are interest groups for mostly every issue or concern for the country. For example, the National Rifle Association and Brady Campaign are both interest groups that are concerned with gun control and gun violence. Both groups have stated their interests in influencing the American government to apply stricter gun laws and reduce the amount of shootings and deaths by firearms by a drastic margin.

Read More

Pre-Civil War Compromises From 1820 To 1860

1364 Words | 6 Pages

Consequently, over 80,000 people rushed to California in 1849 alone, and then in 1850 the state of California applied for statehood. This then raised the question, would California be a slave or free state? Due to the high stakes of the matter, a compromise had to be struck. This leads America to the Compromise of 1850. At the time the compromise seemed to serve as a fix to all of the Union’s problems, but this philosophy was proved to be short

Read More

Ballot Initiative Case Study

1437 Words | 6 Pages

The ballot initiative process is a primary way for Californians to participate in direct democracy. Ballot initiatives allow voters to voice and/or pass a proposed statute or constitutional amendment. Proponents resort to the initiative process for two main reasons. First, proponents view initiatives as a way to bypass the legislature; after the legislature has rejected their proposal, proponents believe they can achieve a more desirable outcome by appealing directly to the people (Rarick, 138). Second, proponents use the initiative process to prevent reversal by future legislatures.

Read More

Southland Jackie Ishida Analysis

940 Words | 4 Pages

California, the petri dish of global political activity. From its very beginning, Southern California has been a frontrunner in political thought and activism. Major political organizations have either started in California or at the very minimum have local political branch. But as Pulido points out “people cannot fully participate in social movements without undergoing a process of political awakening.” (Pulido pg 61).

Read More

Democracy In Salinas

1425 Words | 6 Pages

Introduction In the middle of the California coast is Monterey County, Monterey County is made up of many wonderful sites described as “must-see” places in California websites, travelling websites, and even National Geographic. The drive down Highway 1, the Monterey Aquarium, the Mission in Carmel, and so many other places that define much of California’s beauty and history. Inside Monterey County, more inland, is the town of Salinas. Salinas may not be so popular next to one of the major tourist attractions in California; however, it is a very important example of democracy in local government, especially in California.

Read More

Similarities Between The California And United States Constitution

181 Words | 1 Pages

The California and United States Constitution are similar in many ways, an example that manifests this is in article three of the California Constitution, which divides the state government into three branches Legislative, Executive, and Judicial which is the same construct as the United States.1 However the two constitutions do differ as California's constitution orders a different separation of powers analysis than the United States. This is not only a result of the differences in language between the United States and California Constitutions, but also because of the inherent differences between the powers of both the state and federal government. The U.S government is restrained by the limited powers that are listed in its Constitution,

Read More

Compare And Contrast California Government Vs Federal Government

496 Words | 2 Pages

The government of California has its ways of thinking and acting. Moreover, the government there is of Democrats whereas the Republicans rule the federal government. This makes a perfect atmosphere for conflict. In this scenario, even though the constitution of the state of California is essentially in conformity with the federal constitution, the implementation, interpretation, and extension of laws in California have their flavor due to the difference of thought between federal and Californian governments. In this regard, several examples can be considered; two of them are following:

Read More

What Is The Use Of Ethos Pathos And Logos In Governor Brown Speech

1521 Words | 7 Pages

Brown’s bold statements are an attempt to bestow his audience with a logical appeal, by providing statistical evidence regarding the foreign-born citizens in California. However, because Brown did not cite or reference any credible sources, he could not relate this statement to the exact number of illegal immigrants currently residing in California, who are not paying their taxes, the speech omits to astonish the audience. Later, Brown quotes he has “Provided health insurance to over five million Californians”, followed Martin 2 by… “Raising Minimum wage, reducing prison overcrowding and reestablished the system of crime and punishment, making California the universal leaders in the fight against climate change, passing a water bond, and establish a rainy day fund” (Gajanan 1). Although these benefits were much needed for the five million Californians, Brown is not sure how the funds for these benefits are acquired and who for sure is paying it. He omits how this issue will personally effect the taxpayers who already own health insurance.

Read More

What Are The Conditions That Led To The Calling Of The Convention In 1849

920 Words | 4 Pages

In 1849, California was a territory of the United States, and its leaders were faced with the daunting task of drafting a state constitution that would guide its government once it was granted statehood. This led to the calling of the constitutional convention in Monterey, where delegates from across the territory came together to draft a new constitution. This essay will explore the conditions that led to the calling of the convention, examine the backgrounds of the delegates, look at the major issues at the convention and how they were resolved, and discuss the important characteristics of the government created by the 1849 convention. There were many factors present when the Monterey constitutional conference was called in 1849. California saw a population explosion as a result of the huge influx of people that followed the finding of gold there in 1848.

Read More

Redistricting In California

713 Words | 3 Pages

Thousands of bills pass in the California legislature every year. Just later is responsible for tackling the state 's problems big and small. The legislature does not act in policymaking vacuum rather him a share power with the other branches of government. 40% approved with the legislate tiff branch and 44% disapprove of the legislative branch in a survey taken in 2013. Structurally numerically much for today 's state legislature parallels its original design intent.

Read More

Pros And Cons Of California

1225 Words | 5 Pages

Because of California’s essentially simple procedures for ratifying the Constitution, there have been over 500 amendments made to it since its inception in the late 1800s. Because of the government’s proactive approach on this document throughout the past hundred years, “California’s constitution tracks the structure of the contemporary constitutional order far more closely than does the U.S. Constitution” (Griffin, 2009). Instead of letting a document rule the state, the state made it so that the document always reflected the political ideals of the time period. California also brought these ideals into its voting system. The state was one of the first to enact an open primary system for elections, so that a voter with affiliation to any political party could vote in the primaries.

Read More

More about The Consequences Of California's '4th Branch' Of Government: The Initiative

Related Topics

Open Document