▁structures ▁and ▁functions ▁of ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁California . ▁California ' s ▁original ▁constitution ▁was ▁draft ed ▁in ▁both ▁English ▁and ▁Spanish ▁by ▁American ▁pione ers , ▁European ▁sett lers , ▁and ▁Cal if or ni os ▁( H is pan ics ▁of ▁California ) ▁and ▁adopted ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 9 ▁Constitution al ▁Convention ▁of ▁Mon ter ey , ▁following ▁the ▁American ▁Con quest ▁of ▁California ▁and ▁the ▁Mexican - American ▁War ▁and ▁in ▁advance ▁of ▁California ' s ▁Ad mission ▁to ▁the ▁Union ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 0 . ▁The ▁constitution ▁was ▁am ended ▁and ▁rat ified ▁on ▁ 7 ▁May ▁ 1 8 7 9 , ▁following ▁the ▁Sac r amento ▁Convention ▁of ▁ 1 8 7 8 - 7 9 . ▁ ▁The ▁Constitution ▁of ▁California ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁longest ▁collections ▁of ▁laws ▁in ▁the ▁world , ▁partially ▁due ▁to ▁prov isions ▁en act ed ▁during ▁the ▁Progress ive ▁Era ▁limit ing ▁powers ▁of ▁elected ▁officials , ▁but ▁largely ▁due ▁to ▁add itions ▁by ▁California ▁ball ot ▁proposition ▁and ▁vot er ▁initi atives , ▁which ▁take ▁form ▁as ▁constitution al ▁am end ments . ▁In iti atives ▁can ▁be ▁proposed ▁by ▁the ▁governor , ▁legisl ature , ▁or ▁by ▁popular ▁pet ition , ▁giving ▁California ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁flexible ▁legal ▁systems ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁It ▁is ▁currently ▁the ▁e ighth ▁longest ▁constitution ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁▁ ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁individual ▁rights ▁cla uses ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁constitution ▁have ▁been ▁constru ed ▁as