The California Constitution

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The California Constitution

• American Political Institutions
• Fawn Gibson

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The California Constitution

• The California Constitution has undergone
  substantial revision and amendment since its
  adoption in 1849
• The fundamental organization of government
  written in 1849 remains

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The California Constitution

• The History of the constitution can be divided
  into 4 stages
• The 1849 constitution established the basic
  structure of government, including a separation
  of powers, bicameralism, federalism, and popular
  elections for most statewide offices.
• The 1879 constitution added nine new articles and
  8,000 words to respond to concerns of the time

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The California Constitution

• The progressive era, 1910-1917, added the
  initiative referendum, and recall and passed
  hundreds of reform laws dealing with important
  political, social and economic issues.
• From 1960 to the present, California voters have
  authorized significant constitutional revisions
  recommended by the Constitutional Revisions
  Commission

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The California Constitution

• The California Constitution can be amended in the
  following ways
• 1.The legislature can convene a constitutional
  convention by a two- thirds vote. The convention
  can also be convened by a majority vote of the
  electorate.

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The California Constitution

• 2.The electorate can propose a constitutional
  amendment through the initiative process.
• 3. The legislature may propose a constitutional
  amendment by a 2/3 vote.

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The California Constitution

• The progressive reformers wanted to end to the
  dominance of the big corporations, reform corrupt
  political parties remove corrupt politicians at
  the state and local levels and return government
  to the people.

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The California Constitution

• The most prominent of the Progressive reforms
  are
• Nonpartisan elections
• Primary elections
• Office block voting
• Direct democracythe initiative, referendum and
  recall

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The California Constitution

• The bulk of the Progressive reforms are still in
  operation today.