Meta Description: Explore the complex and impactful political career of Arnold Schwarzenegger, highlighting his successes, challenges, and enduring legacy as California’s 38th Governor.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, famous for his roles in Hollywood action films, served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 to 2011. Known affectionately as the “Governator,” his time in office was marked by a blend of successes, challenges, and outright controversy. The assessment of his performance as Governor often depends heavily on one’s political stance, with some applauding his innovative approach, while others criticize his handling of fiscal issues and the state’s environmental policy.
This post aims to provide a balanced analysis of his tenure, shedding light on his accomplishments and examining the critiques to answer the question: Was Arnold Schwarzenegger a good governor of California? While many on both sides of the aisle would say “yes”, the answer is more nuanced than that. Let’s explore.
Schwarzenegger’s Successes
A. Policy Reforms and Important Issues Tackled
One notable aspect of Schwarzenegger’s governorship was his willingness to address politically sensitive issues head-on.
1. Worker’s Compensation Reform
Early in his administration, he prioritized reforming California’s worker’s compensation system, an initiative he successfully saw to completion. This move exemplified his ability to focus on important yet often overlooked aspects of state governance.
2. Infrastructure Focus
Schwarzenegger also took significant strides in improving California’s infrastructure, making some initial progress in restoring the state’s crumbling roads, bridges, electrical transmission systems, and water systems. His attention to these unglamorous but critical facets of state governance showcased his commitment to serving the people of California.
3. Water Policy Reforms
His administration supported the most crucial California water policy reforms enacted since the 1960s. These reforms included the establishment of the state’s first meaningful statewide water conservation standards, demonstrating his willingness to confront pressing environmental issues.
4. State Public Pension System Reform
Additionally, Schwarzenegger openly discussed the financial unsustainability of state public pension systems, taking steps to bring them back into the black. Despite facing significant backlash from public employee unions and their legislative allies, Schwarzenegger persevered, demonstrating his dedication to long-term fiscal stability.
Diverse Appointments
Schwarzenegger’s tenure was also notable for its broad and diverse range of appointments to both the judiciary and the executive branch.
1. Judicial Appointments
Unlike many of his predecessors, Schwarzenegger appointed judges who represented the diverse racial and ethnic makeup of California, including a significant number of minorities and LGBTQ+ individuals. He also broke with tradition by appointing Democrats and Independents in substantial numbers, not just Republicans. His most notable judicial appointment was Tani Cantil-Sakayue, a Filipina-American, as California’s Chief Justice. Her appointment marked the first time in California’s history that the state Supreme Court primarily comprised women justices.
2. Executive Branch Appointments
Schwarzenegger’s executive branch appointments also displayed a commitment to diversity and bipartisanship. He included Democrats, Republicans, and Independents in state boards, commissions, and cabinet posts. Schwarzenegger’s administration was notably free of corruption, demonstrating his dedication to quality and integrity in governance.
C. Environmental Achievements
Arguably, Schwarzenegger’s most significant achievements came in the realm of environmental policy.
1. Support of California’s Global Warming Solutions Act
Schwarzenegger was a vocal advocate for environmental conservation, supporting the Global Warming Solutions Act when it was enacted in 2006. His environmental leadership extended to battling efforts by out-of-state oil companies to suspend this act.
2. Efforts Towards Renewable Energy
Under his administration, California took steps towards transitioning from a petroleum-based economy to one reliant on renewable energy. Schwarzenegger signed an executive order mandating that California generate one-third of its electricity from renewable resources by 2020.
3. Restoration of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Schwarzenegger’s environmental stewardship included restoring the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, an ecologically significant area that had been in perilous decline for decades.
4. Green Chemistry Legislation
Finally, his administration sponsored pioneering “Green Chemistry” legislation designed to remove toxic ingredients from consumer products at the manufacturing stage, further emphasizing his commitment to a sustainable California.
Schwarzenegger’s Challenges and Critiques
A. State Government Reorganization and Environmental Stance
Despite his notable successes, Schwarzenegger’s governorship wasn’t without its share of criticisms and controversies.
1. Failed Promise of Government Reorganization
One of his campaign promises was to “blow up the boxes” of state government, implying a thorough reorganization and reform of how Sacramento operated. However, critics argue that he made little headway in restructuring Sacramento or significantly reforming the structure of state government.
2. Antipathy towards California’s Environmental Quality Act
On the environmental front, Schwarzenegger exhibited significant antipathy towards the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), even seeking exemptions from its coverage for certain favored projects. This stance led to criticisms from environmentalists who viewed the CEQA as a critical tool for maintaining California’s environmental health.
B. Handling of State Deficit
Perhaps the most prominent critique of Schwarzenegger’s tenure is his handling of California’s state deficit, which substantially increased during his term.
1. Growth of the State Deficit
By the time he left office, the state’s deficit ranged between $20-25 billion, depending on various financial projections. Critics argue that his administration did not effectively address this burgeoning financial crisis, although defenders counter that this issue was largely due to structural dysfunctionality and restrictions imposed by decades of “ballot box budgeting.”
2. Fiscal Constraints and Legislative Gridlock
Despite these criticisms, it is essential to consider the limitations imposed on Schwarzenegger’s budgetary prerogatives and the powers of fiscal reform due to the state’s existing financial structure. Plus, the political gridlock within the state legislature also significantly contributed to the fiscal mess, creating a challenging environment for effective fiscal reform.
C. Overall Assessment
Schwarzenegger’s legacy as governor remains complex. While he faced significant challenges and criticisms, it’s important to remember the considerable obstacles he encountered, including a political landscape marked by deep division and financial structures that significantly limited his ability to enact fiscal reforms. Nevertheless, these difficulties do not entirely absolve him of the criticisms directed towards his governance, especially in relation to the state’s growing deficit.
Schwarzenegger’s Political Legacy
A. Political System Restructuring
Beyond the specifics of his policy initiatives, Schwarzenegger’s most enduring political legacy likely resides in his support for systemic changes to California’s political landscape.
1. Open Primary System
Schwarzenegger was instrumental in the creation of an “open primary” system, a reform voters approved in a state initiative during his tenure. This system allows voters to cast their ballot for any candidate, regardless of political party, which is a significant departure from the traditional primary system that limits voters to candidates within their registered party.
2. Redistricting Authority
Furthering his reformist tendencies, Schwarzenegger strongly backed a pair of initiatives that transferred redistricting authority for state legislative and congressional districts away from the California Legislature to an independent, bipartisan citizens’ commission. This shift is expected to dilute the influence of major political parties, increase the power of independent voters, and attract more moderate candidates for the legislature and Congress.
B. Schwarzenegger as a Political Independent
Despite being a registered Republican, Schwarzenegger governed more like a moderate political independent, eschewing political labels and often transcending partisan lines. This approach reflects the political views of a large portion of California’s voting population, which may not fully align with the state’s currently-configured major political parties.
C. Lasting Impact
Schwarzenegger’s governorship significantly shifted the political dynamics in California. His tenure could be seen as the most influential and successful political reform since Hiram Johnson’s governance a century earlier. He may not have “blown up the boxes” of state government as promised, but he arguably succeeded in transforming Sacramento’s largest political box – its longstanding, divisive partisan structure.
Schwarzenegger’s impact on the political landscape of California can’t be understated. His approach, marked by a willingness to tackle tough issues, an emphasis on bipartisanship, and a focus on systemic reform, offers a model for future leaders looking to navigate the state’s complex political and socio-economic environment. His legacy, despite its critiques, suggests a path for effective governance that prioritizes the collective interest above partisan politics.
And that, indeed, is a significant historical and political legacy.
