"Brown, who held the position from 1975 to 1983, was particularly prone to policy pirouettes, most spectacularly regarding Proposition 13, California's iconic taxation limit. Prior to its overwhelming approval in 1978, Brown repeatedly labeled the measure a rip-off. After its passage, however, Brown immediately declared himself a born-again tax cutter as he ran for reelection that year. He also sponsored a state income tax cut and a subsequent spending limit ballot measure."
"Brown's two Republican successors, George Deukmejian and Pete Wilson, made few promises other than managerial competency and largely delivered. They were followed by risk-averse Democrat Gray Davis, who nevertheless was recalled in 2003, and replaced by Republican action movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger promised to shake up state government with tight limits on spending but quickly learned that he could not outmaneuver a Legislature dominated by professional Democratic politicians nor persuade voters to pass his ballot measures."
Seven individuals have served as California governor over the last half-century, counting Jerry Brown twice, with wide variation in temperament, ideology, efficacy and consistency. Consistency on policy positions emerged as a variable trait, with some governors changing stances and either owning or ducking accountability. Brown's first tenure (1975–1983) featured notable reversals, especially on Proposition 13: he denounced it before 1978 passage and then embraced tax-cutting afterward, sponsoring an income tax cut and a spending-limit ballot measure and running for president as a spending-reduction advocate. Brown sometimes blamed poor data for reversals and invoked Emerson about “foolish consistency.” His Republican successors emphasized managerial competence and largely delivered. Gray Davis proved risk-averse, was recalled in 2003, and was succeeded by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who failed to pass proposed spending limits and could not outmaneuver a Democratic Legislature but did not evade responsibility for failures.
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