Describe the basic structure of California's state government and constitution, including its three branches and its direct-democracy tools.
California's state government is built like the national government, with three branches: an executive branch led by the governor, a legislative branch called the California State Legislature (made up of the State Senate and the State Assembly), and a judicial branch of state courts topped by the California Supreme Court. All three branches operate from Sacramento, the capital city named back in week 2.
California wrote its first constitution in 1849, even before statehood, and adopted its current constitution in 1879. Unlike the U.S. Constitution, California's can be changed directly by voters through a few special tools: an initiative lets voters propose and pass a new law themselves, a referendum lets voters approve or reject a law the legislature already passed, and a recall lets voters remove an elected official from office through a special election. These tools give California voters a more direct role in their own government than voters have in many other states.
Mastery looks like: They can name the three branches of California government and explain the initiative, referendum, and recall in their own words.
Common stumbles: Confusing California's government structure with the national government's specific offices; mixing up the initiative and the referendum.