California is a state in the United States of America which was established in the year 1850. The state prides itself with a serene shoreline, its shiny climate and furthermore, it is one of the richest states in the USA. The state mines gold making it one of the most valuable lands in the United States of America, and earning itself the name Golden State. The Government of California used the capitalist democracy theory to achieve a well-structured government which gives more power to the citizens. The people of California not only have the power to elect senators and assembly members, but also to propose a law or amend their constitution where such a need arises. The Californian government is divided into three branches namely executive branch, legislative branch and the judicial branch.
The executive branch is governed by the Governor, who has the power to appoint state officers and other constitutional officers. The main role of this branch of government is to administer and enforce the laws of the state. The legislative branch is composed of the senators and the state assembly, whose main role is to make laws through passing of bills and performing the oversight function (Haskell, 2018). The judicial branch main role is to interpret and apply the laws on individuals who break the state laws. In the past years there have been a lot of modifications which gives the citizens more power (Haskell, 2018). The legislature of the state has passed laws pushing for direct democracy which makes way for public participation of residents in matters affecting the state. The legislature also passed a bill which eradicates state discrimination on basis of gender and sex. The Judiciary on the other hand has increased their provision of protection for property and residents of California.
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This modification has empowered the citizens of the state over time. It’s no secret that the residents of California have felt the changes of this modification in the entire government system. The main change is the opportunity for the residents to participate in the development matters in the state through direct democracy (Haskell, 2018). The residents feel they are in control of state operations through the consultation by the government through referendum, initiative or by recall. Through the protection of the judicial branch of government, the residents have confidence in the government thus making them feel secure. However the government is faced with challenges in administering these modifications. Such modifications are faced by opposition from leaders with self interest in the government. It is also being faced by the menace of corruption and impunity by some of the leaders in the state.
Despite the actions by the state of California to achieve democracy, the government has to do more to empower the citizens. This can be done through formulation of other channels where the government can interact with its citizens. To make this a reality, the government canuse compliment/ complaint box, web interface and social media platforms such as twitter and Facebook for purposes of communication. This will improve the public knowledge of the residents on developmental initiatives and projects financed by the state. The government should also cooperate with the residents towards a known common future through their development initiatives. A clear communication and partnership of the state with relevant multi-stakeholder partnership to achieve the common objectives is important since it results to achievement of a sense of power by residents.
References
Haskell, J. (2018). Direct democracy or representative government? Dispelling the populist myth . Routledge.