California State and Local Government - Essay Example

Chapter Identify and discuss the problems that continue to plague California.  Various issues have been raised in the labor sector, which is seen as a plague evident by strike and staged protests. Wages and hour as an issue is another blow to the major employees in California (Patterson 30). Devastating drought is another plague in California shown by U.S National Drought Monitors. Energy crisis also affects the state; there is insufficient supply of power due to poor transmission systems. In addition, there are Poor health conditions such as smoke from Happy Camp Complex.

Chapter 2Identify and discuss California’s political history.The Constitution of California has established California government agencies, institutions and programs. It also does the establishment of mandatory funding levels (Patterson 26). The funding restoration order to some agencies and programs is done by the California Supreme Court. Legislatively, the government of California is made up of the Assembly minority, the governor, the Senate president pro tempore, the Assembly speaker and Senate minority leader.

Legislative campaign funds are controlled by the California legislature. Therefore, they have a say in influencing in their caucus votes in the Big Five meetings (Patterson 19). Chapter 3Identify and discuss California’s election & campaign systems and the political shifts taking place in California.Currently, California uses the plurality voting system in its elections. In certain cases, municipalities such as Berkeley and San Francisco use a system of preferential voting or ranking choice voting.

The Democratic Party and Republic Party are the major political parties in the U.S congress and state legislature representation (Patterson (21). Others include Peace and Freedom Party, American Independent Party, Libertarian Party and Green Party.Chapter 6Identify and discuss the different aspects of the California Judicial Branch and the Federal Government’s Judicial Branch.The court of appeal of U.S` decision may be reviewed by the U. S Supreme Court when asked by a Party in Judicial Branch of California.

In Federal Government Judicial Branch, the case is heard by the highest state court when asked by the parties. In the Judicial Branch of California, the judicial power is invested by the constitution article 111. The state courts are established by the laws and constitution in the federal government (Patterson 34).Chapter 7Identify and discuss California’s budget and its impact on local government.There have been conflicts between the local government and the state of California fiscally for the three decades ago.

This arises when the local revenue gives much control of the state government and also state and local spending and taxing limitation (Patterson 27). Therefore, the California government needs to stop fighting because of fiscal resources and focus on the main problems that plague the state to resolve budget issues. Work CitedPatterson, Thomas. American Democracy.Houston: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages, 2012. Print.