Branches of Government

Under the leadership of the Governor, the executive branch is responsible for administering and enforcing the laws of California. The executive branch works closely with the legislative branch in shaping proposed legislation. There are many state departments included in the executive branch. Officials who are publicly elected, appointed by the Governor, or hired into the state’s civil service system direct these executive departments.  

The Governor is elected by the people of California to a four-year term, and if reelected, can serve a second four-year term. Only citizens of the United States that are residents of California and over the age of 18 can serve as Governor of California. The Governor is the Commander-in-Chief of the militia of the state and is the sole official of communication between California, the federal government, and other states. 

Since 1850, the qualifications for holding the office of Governor have evolved. The first California Constitution of 1849 specified that the Governor must be at least 25 years of age, a citizen of the United States, and have been a resident of California for no less than two years. At the time, these qualifications differed from the requirements of many other states. The residency requirement was lower than the usual five years because many newly arrived Californians would otherwise not have qualified.

In addition, while most states specified a minimum length of citizenship, California’s Constitution did not. This difference avoided discrimination against the native-born Californios, individuals of Spanish or Mexican descent, who had become American citizens only the year before as a result of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. In 1879, a new Constitution modified these requirements to mandate a minimum of five years for both residency and citizenship. The age requirement stayed in effect until 1972, when it was reduced to 18 – the current voting age – to be in compliance with the Twenty-Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution, ratified the year before. 

The legislative branch of California’s government is composed of the State Assembly, the State Senate, and several other departments. Together they are the principle law-making powers in the state. The Legislature will propose, analyze, and debate over 6,000 bills in a single two-year session. The State Assembly is made up of 80 members elected to two-year terms. The State Senate is made up of 40 members elected to four-year terms, with one half reelected every two years. Assembly and Senate districts are apportioned on the basis of population. 

Prior to their election, Legislative candidates must be over the age of eighteen, United States citizens, have been residents of California for at least three years, and have lived in the district they represent for at least one year.