Pols 111 Ch6
How are vacancies in most of the plural executive offices filled?
Appointments by the governor (Gubernatorial appointments to fill these positions are subject to the approval within 90 days of both houses of the legislature.)
Which of the following statements about the budget process in the state of California are accurate?
Correct -A supermajority of two-thirds is required to raise new revenues. -The California Constitution gives the power of preparing the budget to the governor, not the legislature. Incorrect -A supermajority of two-thirds is required to approve a budget. -The governor has the power to add line items to the budget after it has been passed by the legislature.
Which of the following agencies are cabinet-level "superagencies" within the state of California's executive branch?
Correct -Health and Human Services -Labor and Workforce Development -Environmental Protection Incorrect -Caltrans
Identify which of the following are responsibilities of the attorney general of California.
Correct -The attorney general has oversight responsibilities for local district attorneys and county sheriffs. -The attorney general defends the state in lawsuits. Incorrect -The attorney general is in charge of licensing lawyers to practice law and investigating complaints of professional misconduct against lawyers. -The attorney general makes appointments to fill vacancies at the superior court level.
Which of the following are important limits on the governor's power in the state of California?
Correct -The executive branch includes several independently elected officials who may be from the opposing party of the governor. -There are many state-level organizations that cannot be directly controlled by the governor. Incorrect -The governor must run for re-election every two years and can only serve three terms in office. -The state's constitution allows the governor to reduce monetary appropriations in bills passed by the legislature, but he or she cannot veto bills in their entirety.
Which of the following statements about the lieutenant governor are accurate?
Correct -The lieutenant governor acts as governor if the elected governor leaves the state. -The lieutenant governor can cast tie-breaking votes in the Senate. Incorrect -The lieutenant governor is constitutionally prohibited from serving on any state boards or commissions while in office. -The lieutenant governor is elected by running on the same ticket as the governor.
Which of the following statements about the line-item veto are accurate?
Correct -The line-item veto permits the governor to reduce or delete any appropriation in a spending bill -For the first time in over three decades, the line-item veto was not used by the governor in 2016. Incorrect -Both the president of the United States and the governor of the state of California have the power of the line-item veto. -The line-item veto permits the governor to increase any appropriation in a spending bill.
If the governor of California declares a state of emergency in response to a wildfire, what does he or she issue?
Executive order (Executive orders are directives issued by the governor to manage the operations of state government. Executive orders are permitted by the constitution or under laws passed by the legislature. They are most significant in times of an emergency.)
Since 1967, governors in the state of California have vetoed approximately half of the bills passed by the legislature.
False (Governors have vetoed only about 13 percent of legislative bills since 1967. Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed about 26 percent of the bills that came to him, while Governor Brown vetoed 12.9 percent of the bills sent to him from 2011 to 2015.)
Jerry Brown served a total of 12 years as a governor of California
False (Jerry Brown actually served 16 years as governor. He was governor from 1975 to 1983 and from 2011 to 2019.)
Unlike other state governors, such as Ronald Reagan, former California governor Jerry Brown never ran for president.
False (Jerry Brown was a candidate for the Democratic Party nomination for president in 1976, 1980, and 1992.)
The California Constitution requires that the attorney general follow the governor's orders in determining which issues will receive the most attention and resources.
False (The attorney general's office is able to set its own agenda, which may run counter to the governor's agenda, and there is no constitutional obligation for the attorney general to cooperate in any way with the governor.)
The state legislature has successfully overridden a governor's veto at least once in every legislative session since 1977.
False (The state legislature has successfully overridden the governor's veto only seven times since 1946 (and four of those were against Jerry Brown in the 1970s)
Much like the U.S. president's job, the governor's job is divided analytically into two roles: head of government and head of state. Label each of the gubernatorial activities as the governor's responsibility as either head of government or head of state.-
Head of state -Attending a memorial service for a police officer who was killed in the line of duty -Lighting the Christmas tree displayed in front of the state capitol Head of government -Signing a bill passed by the legislature that increases gasoline taxes -Meeting with state legislators to persuade them to increase spending on the California high-speed rail project
The governor of California has a series of formal powers granted under the state constitution as well as informal powers. Classify each of the following powers as belonging to the governor's formal or informal powers.
Informal powers -Raising money for political campaigns Formal -Granting clemency, including pardons and reprieves -Serving as commander in chief of the National Guard -Making recommendations to the legislature during a State of the State address
Which California governor was often parodied as "Governor Moonbeam" because he promoted the establishment of a space academy and the purchase of a communications satellite for the state?
Jerry Brown (Jerry Brown earned the nickname "Governor Moonbeam" during his first stint as California governor (between 1975 and 1983).
Study the chart comparing gubernatorial powers across state governments, and then identify whether or not each gubernatorial power in question is used in a majority of states.
Most states give the governor this power -Line-item veto for appropriations bills -Full or shared budget-making authority Mosts states DO NOT give the governor this power -Line-item veto for nonappropriations bills -unlimited terms in office
Why did Gavin Newsom rise to national prominence in 2004?
Newsom ordered the San Franscisco city-county to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples (Just a month into his term as mayor of San Francisco, Newsom attracted national attention when he directed the city-county clerk to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, in violation of state law. While those marriages were later annulled by the California Supreme Court, the move cemented his popularity in the city.)
When you register to vote in California, which official is responsible for processing your registration form?
Secretary of state (The secretary of state is the chief elections officer, responsible for maintaining a database of registered voters and for overseeing all federal and state elections in the state.)
What does the attorney general of California oversee?
The Department of Justice (The attorney general oversees the state's Department of Justice, which employs more than 4,500 people and is responsible for ensuring that the laws are enforced.)
The elimination of the California Postsecondary Education Commission in 2011 is an example of which power?
The governor can use a line-item veto to effectively kill a state program (The California Postsecondary Education Commission's entire general fund allocation for 2011-12 was eliminated by Governor Brown in a line-item veto upon signing the state budget in 2011.)
Which of the following statements about the legislative powers and responsibilities of the governor is accurate?
The governor is required by the state's constitution to deliver a State of the State address to the legislature at the start of every legislative session (The state's constitution requires the governor to present a State of the State address to the legislature at the beginning of a legislative session. This speech may be short or long, general or specific. Unlike the president's State of the Union address, it is normally not covered in detail by the media.)
What is the only position within the state's plural executive created through the initiative process?
The insurance commissioner (The insurance commissioner's office was made elective by Proposition 103 in 1988.)
Some observers of the 2018 gubernatorial campaign accused Gavin Newsom of running advertisements before the June primary election that encouraged turnout in favor of Republican candidate John Cox.
The state's Democratic voting tendencies and its top vote-getter system create incentives for Democratic frontrunners to bolster Republican candidates in the June primary
The controller and treasurer of California both have important roles related to the state's financial resources. Label each of the following duties as the responsibility of either the controller or the treasurer.
Tresurer -Manages the sale of state bonds Controller -Serves as a chairperson of the Board of Equalization -Audits government agencies that spend state funds -Administers the payroll system for state government employees
Term limits have made it more difficult for the governor to exert influence over state legislators.
True (Term limits mean that state legislators do not have a long-term commitment to the governing process. Because their next jobs may be as lobbyists, they can be more interested in pleasing potential employers (special interests) than in cooperating with the governor.)
The superintendent of public instruction is elected on a nonpartisan basis in the state of California.
True (Unlike the other elected statewide officers in California's plural executive system, the superintendent of public instruction is selected through a nonpartisan election.)
Which of the following positions did Jerry Brown not hold prior to being elected governor in 2010?
United States senator (Brown ran for the U.S. Senate in 1982 but lost to Republican Pete Wilson.)
According to the following chart comparing gubernatorial powers across state governments, California is the only state in the country that provides the governor with full budget-making powers and the ability to exercise the line-item veto on appropriations bills while not allowing the governor to serve unlimited terms in office.
false (There are many states that impose term limits on governors, provide governors with full budget-making powers, and give governors the ability to exercise the line-item veto on appropriations bills. In fact, 24 states have governors with this same collection of powers and constraints.)
