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Located in Sacramento

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- Built on the principles of popular sovereignty and limited government
- Recognizes that government exists only with the consent of the people and it must operate within closely defined boundaries
- CA constitution along with other states goes beyond the national Constitution with the bill of rights
- Deals with structure of government at both state and local levels
- Lists the powers vested in the legislature, the executive branch, the courts, and the units of local government
- Sets out the means at which it may be revised or amended- has been amended more than 500 times

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- CA's first attempt to establish a constitution began before it became a state.
- CA became U.S. possession ruled by the military, the same year discovery of gold brought more settlers. As population increased, so did violence an lawlessness
- CA constitution of 1849 separated government powers into legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
- Constitution of 1879. retained the basic structure of government and addressed some of the issues that "plagued the state"

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- CA constitution is superior to any laws in California
- Doctrines of separation of powers and checks and balances were built into each of the first state constitutions.
- Each one proclaimed the principles of popular sovereignty and limited government