Differences Between California And The Federal Government

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How California’s Government Differs from the Federal Government Each state has its own government that govern the people living in that particular state. The State’s government makes ballot initiatives etc. to help the maintain a democracy in the state. The Federal government, on the other hand, makes laws, treaties etc. to help the nation as a whole. However, the State’s government differs a little when compared to the Federal government. The Federal government takes into account the whole nation—United States in this case—when governing. The State government only takes into account itself—California in this case. Looking at the three branches of the Federal government—the executive, judicial and legislative, one can see the differences starting …show more content…
Compared to California’s legislative branch, the Federal Government’s legislative branch, herein referred to as Congress, has the authority to revise and annul public laws. Similar to California’s legislation, the Congress also has two chambers with a total of 635 members. The Senate, consisting of 100 members, proposes, and votes on policies that would affect the United States as a whole. An example of such policy would be the domestic and foreign policy. This is different from the State Legislation’s concern as the State cares about bills and laws in their own state. Furthermore, Senators provide counsel on treaties with other nations and keep the other two branches of the Federal Government in check. The other part of the Congress—the House of Representatives consists of 435 people, each divided based on the State’s population. The House of Representatives, with the help of the Senate, passes federal laws. However, the House does have some special powers. For instance, the House has the power to initiate revenue bills and impeach members, whom they believe were in violation of law. These powers are different from that of the State as the State’s legislation does not have the power to initiate revenue bills and impeach members. When comparing the state legislation to the Congress, clearly it is seen that Congress has far more power. The State’s legislation …show more content…
It includes the Governor and his staff, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and State Controller, just to name a few. Each official controls part of the work for the state. However, the Governor is the overbearing entity here. The Governor is similar to the President in a way that both have executive power. However, the Governor’s power is not to the same extent as that of the President. The Governor can appoint new staff, can act as a commander-in-chief of the state’s militia and serves as the channel for communication between the State and the Federal government. The Governor’s greatest influence on appointment is that of the judicial branch. The Governor can appoint anyone he deems fit to hold Judicial office. Additionally, the Governor has authority to give the State-of-the-State Address, which similar to the State-of-the-Union address given by the President, budget powers—an annual budget to the the Legislature, veto powers, and emergency powers. In emergencies, the Governor can call a State Emergency and act as the Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard. All in all, the Governor holds unrivaled power in the State’s executive

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