1. Worldmark Encyclopedia of the States
  2. California
  3. Local government

California

Local government

As of 2002, California had 57 counties and 1,047 public school districts. The Department of Education worked steadily throughout the 1900s to reorganize, reducing the number of districts from a high of 3,579 in 1932 to just over 1,000 in 1967. In 2002 there were 2,830 special districts and 475 municipal governments.

County government is administered by an elected board of supervisors, which also exercises jurisdiction over unincorporated towns within the county. Government operations are administered by several elected officials, the number varying according to the population of the county. Most counties have a district attorney, assessor, treasurer-tax collector, superintendent of schools, sheriff, and coroner. Larger counties may also have an

California Presidential Vote by Political Parties, 1948–2000
California Presidential Vote by Political Parties, 1948–2000

California Presidential Vote by Political Parties, 1948–2000

YEAR ELECTORAL VOTE CALIFORNIA WINNER DEMOCRAT REPUBLICAN STATES' RIGHTS PROGRESSIVE SOCIALIST PROHIBITION
*Won US presidential election.
1948 25 *Truman (D) 1,913,134 1,895,269 1,228 190,381 3,459 16,926
          CONSTITUTION   SOC. LABOR  
1952 32 *Eisenhower (R) 2,197,548 2,897,310 3,504 24,692 273 16,117
1956 32 *Eisenhower (R) 2,420,135 3,027,668 6,087   300 11,119
1960 32 Nixon (R) 3,224,099 3,259,722     1,051 21,706
1964 40 *Johnson (D) 4,171,877 2,879,108     489  
          AMERICAN IND.   PEACE & FREEDOM  
1968 40 *Nixon (R) 3,244,318 3,467,664 487,270   27,707  
            AMERICAN PEOPLE'S LIBERTARIAN
1972 45 *Nixon (R) 3,475,847 4,602,096   232,554 55,167 980
            COMMUNIST    
1976 45 Ford (R) 3,742,284 3,882,244 51,096 12,766 41,731 56,388
            CITIZENS PEACE & FREEDOM  
1980 45 *Reagan (R) 3,039,532 4,444,044   9,687 60,059 17,797
1984 47 *Reagan (R) 3,922,519 5,467,009 39,265 NEW ALLIANCE 26,297 49,951
1988 47 *Bush (R) 4,702,233 5,054,917 27,818 31,181   70,105
            IND. (PEROT)    
1992 54 *Clinton (D) 5,121,325 3,630,574 12,711 2,296,006 18,597 48,139
              GREEN (Nader)  
1996 54 *Clinton (D) 5,119,835 3,828,380   697,847 237,016 73,600
          REFORM      
2000 54 Gore (D) 5,861,293 4,567,429 44,987   418,707 45,520

elected planning director, public defender, public works director, purchasing agent, and social welfare services director.

Municipalities are governed under the mayor-council, council-manager, or commission system. Most large cities are run by councils of from 5 to 15 members, elected to four-year terms, the councils being responsible for taxes, public improvements, and the budget. An elected mayor supervises city departments and appoints most city officials. Other elected officials usually include the city attorney, treasurer, and assessor. Los Angeles and San Francisco have the mayor-council form of government, but in San Francisco, the city and county governments are consolidated under an elected board of supervisors, and the mayor appoints a manager who has substantial authority. San Diego and San Jose each have an elected mayor and city manager chosen by an elected city council.

The state's direct primary law had a salutary effect on local politics by helping end the power of political machines in the large cities. In 1910, Los Angeles voters adopted the nonpartisan primary and overthrew the corrupt rule of Mayor A. C. Harper in favor of reformer George Alexander. At the same time, voters were revolting against bossism and corruption in San Francisco, Sacramento, Oakland, and other cities.