While Californias legislature is the most professional state legislature in the country, it is not at all clear that the state

• Select two (2) of the following prompts to answer.
• Each answer is required to be 1-2 typed and double-spaced pages.
• You should consider lectures, discussions, class texts and current events in your answers. SUPPORT YOUR ANSWERS WITH EXAMPLES.

• I.  While California’s legislature is the most professional state legislature in the country, it is not at all clear that the state has benefited by this professionalism. Why have so many come to doubt that this professionalism has been beneficial?  What reforms, if any, would you consider that might make the legislature a more efficient/effective branch?

II.  With eight independently elected executives, California voters have ample latitude in selecting the leadership of this branch of government. Describe and explain the problems, political fragmentation, and hyper pluralism created by this plural executive system in terms of executive branch coherence and accountability. What reforms or changes, if any, might we consider making this branch more effective and accountable?

III.  At the federal level, judges are guaranteed complete independence by their lifetime tenure. In California, we have addressed judges’ accountability to the public through judicial elections and retention votes. Should California adopt the federal lifetime tenure model, of should California keep its judicial elections and retention votes as presented to the voters?