Deck 6: The Governor and the Executive Branch

Question 1

The superintendent of public instruction is

A) a member of the state board of equalization.
B) the only member of the plural executive elected on a nonpartisan basis.
C) appointed by the governor.
D) oversees higher education in the state of California.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The lieutenant governor serves as acting governor when the governor is

A) out of the state.
B) running for president.
C) in a major dispute with the legislature.
D) the candidate of a third party.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

What are the major factors that cause the California governor to be invisible?

A) Media coverage of Sacramento and the governor is limited.
B) California laws forbid the governor from interacting with the media and attending social events.
C) The governor's day-to-day responsibilities do not provide much time for public appearances.
D) The media provides more coverage of members of the Assembly and Senate than of the governor.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

What is an example of the governor's formal powers?

A) greeting foreign government officials
B) making a public speech about the state's budget
C) drawing up the state's budget
D) persuading legislators

Question 5

Which of the following is an informal power of the governor?

A) vetoing legislation
B) granting clemency
C) using the public to make his case
D) drawing up the budget

Question 6

The California governor can use the line-item veto

A) for state appropriation measures.
B) for federal appropriation measures.
C) for pardons that involve nonviolent crime.
D) to control excessive spending by the state board of equalization.

Question 7

One of the most important powers the governor has in terms of the budget process is the

A) appointment power.
B) role of commander-in-chief.
C) line-item veto.
D) day-to-day management of state agencies.

Question 8

In California, large organizations similar to federal departments that contain a number of related bureaus are called

A) franchise tax boards.
B) real estate tax collectors.
C) superagencies.
D) political action committees.

Question 9

The governor's most significant powers are

A) acting as the commander-in-chief and making legislative recommendations.
B) preparing the state budget and using the line-item veto.
C) developing a vision for the state and managing executive actions.
D) campaigning and managing the daily tasks of the governor's office.

Question 10

The governor is the commander-in-chief of

A) all military forces stationed in California.
B) the California National Guard.
C) all county sheriff's departments.
D) only the police department in Sacramento.

Question 11

What was Arnold Schwarzenegger's approval rating at the end of his time in office?

A) 73 percent
B) 55 percent
C) 38 percent
D) 23 percent

Question 12

After the primary election in 2010, Governor Schwarzenegger

A) tried to run unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor.
B) was a lame duck governor and made no public appearances.
C) campaigned actively and successfully for Proposition 14 and against Proposition 24.
D) accepted an appointment as the ambassador to Austria.

Question 13

The state board of equalization is charged with the responsibility of

A) distributing state highway funds.
B) auditing all state expenditures.
C) controlling the expenditures of the executive branch.
D) overseeing the assessment and administration of property taxes.

Question 14

What California governor had little interest in photo opportunities?

A) Arnold Schwarzenegger
B) Gray Davis
C) Earl Warren
D) Jerry Brown

Question 15

Which state official is also a member of the state board of equalization?

A) secretary of state
B) insurance commissioner
C) treasurer
D) controller

Question 16

Why did Arnold Schwarzenegger's popularity fade away in 2005?

A) He nominated Gray Davis to serve on the California Supreme Court and attended the Democratic National Convention as a keynote speaker.
B) He attended high-end fundraisers in Hollywood and allowed oil companies to drill off the coast of Santa Barbara, thereby causing a major oil spill.
C) He pursued a costly special election, and antagonized the members of his own party with his moderate positions on many issues.
D) His Terminator Five movie was a box office failure thereby causing an economic downfall for the entertainment industry.

Question 17

State employees

A) report directly to the governor.
B) report only to their union representatives.
C) answer only to the legislature.
D) are sometimes in agencies that are not under the control of the governor.

Question 18

The official who enforces state laws and oversees district attorneys in California is the

A) secretary of state.
B) controller.
C) attorney general.
D) superintendent of public instruction.

Question 19

What specific area requires the governor to get the legislature's cooperation?

A) budget
B) interest group connections
C) the line-item veto
D) great speeches

Question 20

All of the following are among the formal powers of the governor EXCEPT

A) vetoing legislation.
B) drawing up the budget.
C) developing a vision for the state.
D) organizing the executive branch.

Question 21

Describe the informal powers of the governor of California. How have these powers been used?

Question 22

Who is the current lieutenant governor?

A) Cruz Bustamante
B) Abel Maldonado
C) Gavin Newsom
D) John Garamendi

Question 23

Why is education administration a confusing policy area?

A) The board of education is appointed by the Assembly and the Senate, thereby causing philosophical differences among the board members.
B) The superintendent of public instruction shares power with an appointed board of education.
C) The superintendent of public instruction has been vacant for the last ten years thereby lacking proper leadership to administer policy.
D) The board of education oversees private schools whereas the superintendent of public instruction manages public schools.

Question 24

What is the plural executive and what impact does it have on the governor of California?

Question 25

How is the bureaucracy in California organized? How does it relate to the governor?

Question 26

This member of the plural executive is a major political competitor for the governor and can set his or her own political agenda.

A) secretary of state
B) attorney general
C) superintendent of public instruction
D) lieutenant governor

Question 27

Why is the role of the governor in the budget process and his line-item veto power considered among his strongest powers?

Question 28

What proposition made the insurance commissioner an elected position?

A) Proposition 8
B) Proposition 58
C) Proposition 75
D) Proposition 103

Question 29

What is the responsibility of the secretary of state?

A) enforcing California laws
B) managing California elections
C) overseeing the collection of taxes in California
D) managing California's money and investments

Question 30

What factors suggest that the governor of California is "invisible"?