Plural Executive Positions in California Government
...ature; appoint judges; propose a state budget; give the annual State of the State Address; command the state militia; and grant amnesty for any crime, except cases involving impeachment by the Legislature. All candidates for governor must meet the following requirements: citizen of the United States, Qualified to vote, and California resident for at least 5 years immediately preceding the election. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor also serve members of the University Of California Board Of Regents. The Lieutenant Governor is the President of the California Senate and acts as the governor when the Governor cannot. Due to the fact that offices are elected separately, the two are likely to be from separate parties like our current Republican Governor Schwarzenegger and Democrat Lt. Governor Bustamante. Although the title of Lieutenant Governor may sound very crucial, this position actually has very few significant duties to perform in California. The one official job the lieutenant governor does have is to break a tie in the state senate if a tie were ever to happen. The Attorney General is the director of the justice department in California and therefore is in charge of making sure that the laws of the state are equally enforced. The attorney general position is the most important position after the governor; Attorney Generals act as legal counsel and are responsible for the preparation of all ballot propositions submitted to the voters in state elections. A common trend is that the attorney general is from the party opposite that of the governor. The State Controller is chief accountant for the state, his main duties consist of accounting for and paying out all state money, and advising local government on financial matters. The controller is also the chair of the Franchise Tax Board, and sits on the Board of Equalization. The state controller position is one of the most powerful in California. The position of Treasurer is accountable for investing in bonds to fund large capital projects. Examples of such projects are construction of highways, schools, and dams. The Treasurer has the duty of auctioning state bonds, having custody of the state money, and shifting state funds into banks and savings institutions that offer high interest rates. The Secretary of State is the official record keeper of the legislature and the various executive departments and is the supervisor of all state elections. This position is in charge of maintaining state archives and is the keeper of the Great Seal of California. The Great Seal of California has to be attached to all documents which are signed by the governor. The Secretary of State is also responsible for granting charters to all businesses, countries, and cities. The Secretary of State’s most important role is enforcing the state’s election laws, printing state ballot pamphlets, certifying and publishing election results, and checking for the proper number of signatures on petitions. The Superintendent of Public Instruction is the director of the state Department of Education and is the only non-partisan officer of the plural executive. This department provide...