The Office of Governor of California

This research will examine the office of the governor of California. The constitutional basis for the state's executive branch will be explored and the evolution of the role of the office will be charted. The recent campaign for governor in the November 1998 elections will also be analyzed, including brief biographies and position statements of the two major party candidates, Gray Davis and Dan Lungren.

The American Revolution left a strong distrust among most Americans of the executive branch of government. The federal and state constitutions tended to vest primary policymaking authority with the legislative branch of government, subject to a variety of checks and balances, including the countervailing authorities of the executive and judicial branches. Traditionally, legislators developed public policy; the executive implemented the policies; and the courts interpreted the constitution and laws upon which they were based (Harvey, 1989, p. 105).

Over time, however, popular distrust in the executive branch has waned. As society became more complex, the power and influence of the executive branch at the federal and state levels grew. Today in California and most other states, the governor is the key executive and the most prestigious and powerful official in state government.

In California, the governor now is the most powerful public official in the state. The governor's influence and authority are felt in every area of government. The governor

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portant constitutional amendment that affected the nature of California's governorship is the direct primary approved in 1909. Prior to 1909, gubernatorial and other statewide candidates were nominated by party conventions and caucuses, making political parties pivotal players in the electoral process. The direct primary replaced party conventions and seriously undermined the role of parties in California politics. Instead of strong "party players" running for governor, the most successful gubernatorial candidates became people who could attract wide popular appeal through the mass media. Parties have become increasingly irrelevant to California's statewide candidates ever since. Once institutions that recruited, trained and disciplined candidates, political parties today are little more than caucuses obedient to the wishes of the governor and/or the legislative leadership. Besides symbolic name recognition associated with the party label, perhaps the most significant role played by parties today is their ability to launder "soft money" campaign contributions from undisclosed special interest groups. There are several additional responsibilities of the office of the governor in California. The governor helps set the legislative

Category: Government - T