Executive Branch Flashcards

1
Q

What are the sources of the governors power?

A
  1. Personality: Motivation, behavior, and character affect how they approach their job, relate to staff, and communicate with the public. For instance, Schwarzenegger brought star power as he had a desire for action and willingness to challenge his legislative opponents.
  2. Political skill: Cal governors need to work successfully with legislative leaders, party operatives, the media, and interest groups to push their priorities through the legislature. For instance, Warren sponsored nonpartisan “town halls”-inviting thousands to Sac during a legislative session.
  3. Political resources: Internal resources include amount of time, info, expertise, and energy governors has. External resources include party support in legislature, public approval, electoral margins, & professional reputation. For instance, Brown left office with approval ratings above 50%.
  4. Political context: California economy (depression), political environment (electorates partisan and ideological leanings), etc
  5. Strategic considerations: Each governor must have a game plan to deal with the legislature and methods to gain interest group and popular support
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2
Q

Briefly describe some of the Governors powers (line-item veto)

A

-Organizing a personal staff: chief of staff and secretaries
-making appointments: some administrative, board, and commission posts
-managing executive branch superagencies
-executive order
-submit a budget within first ten days of year
-Line-item veto: The most formidable tool the governor has, referring to the governors ability to reduce or reject any item in a bill. If a bill presented to the Governor contains one or several items of appropriation, he or she may eliminate or reduce any or all of them while approving the other portions of the bill.
-commander-in-chief
-pardon, commute (reduce sentence), reprieve (postpone sentence), reverse parole decisions
-chiefs of state
-executive oversight

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3
Q

What are the checks on the governors powers?

A

-The legislature can override a veto by 2/3 majority vote in both the state assembly and the state senate
-the California court system serves as a check against legislative and executive powers by making sure those branches do not create laws in conflict with the State constitution
-Many gubernatorial appointments require legislative confirmation

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4
Q

What are the pros and cons of the current structure of the executive branch?

A

Pros:
-checks/balances: Multiple elected officials (plural executive): no single person holds all the power which prevents any one individual from becoming too powerful. These autonomous positions hold the Governor accountable when necessary
-democratic accountability: california votes direct elect many members of the executive branch, which gives the public greater influence and accountability over state governance
-role-specific organization: each of the executive offices (Treasurer, Controller, etc) have specific expertise, allowing for focused leadership in key areas of state governance
-Political balance: Governor and other state wide elected offices (incl. lieutenant governor) can have different political affiliations, offering voters a range of viewpoints.
Cons:
-lack of coordination: With many independently elected officials, coordination across the executive branch can be difficult. This may cause fragmentation in which different offices may pursue conflicting policies or agendas
-competing political agendas: the independence of elected officials means that if there is political gridlock between the governor and other state officers, it could stall important policies/initiatives.
-voter confusion: with so many statewide offices and elections, voters may become confused/overwhelmed by the number of positions they are required to vote for, leading to lower enagagement or uninformed voting.
-expensive elections: With so many statewide offices up for election, the cost of campaigning for these offices can be quite high, which could lead to the influence of money of politics.
-limited role: the Lieutenant Governor is seen as underutilized given its lack of clear constitutional duties, making the positions seem ineffective as part of the branch.
-lack of political continuity: since the roles are not tied to one another, the execution of long-term state politics may be disrupted when different individuals hold key offices.

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5
Q

What are the pros and cons of the current system of electing officers to the executive branch?

A

Plural executive: a significant limitation to the governors power is the plural executive as an array of executive officials with cabinet sounding titles are separately elected and politically independent of the governor.

Pro: At the same time, ensures that people are elected based on merit and not political connection, which lessens the probability of corruption. Also increases likelihood of ideological diversity in the executive branch, likely making the branch more reflective of the voter/state population.
-elected officials are not beholden to Governor positions and therefore can pursue their policies and protect the public interest
-accountability for performance: if any elected official fails to meet public expectations, voters have the opportunity to replace them in the next election, which enhances the responsiveness of the executive branch to public concerns.

Con: These executives may come from different political parties and may publicly oppose the governors agenda. This can create a lack of cohesive leadership and political gridlock.
-frequent need for fundraising in a competitive political environment leads to concerns about the influence of money in politics. High campaign costs may favor wealthier candidates or those with access to larger donor networks, potentially limiting political diversity and reducing opportunity for underrepresented groups.
-when different elected officials with differing political ideologies hold significant positions, the executive branch can become a site of political polarization.

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