Final answer:
Jerry Brown, between 2010 and 2012, aimed to reduce California's budget deficit by c) Implementing austerity measures and reducing public spending, though the federal government during the Great Recession used a mix of tax cuts and spending increases to stimulate the economy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The policies that Jerry Brown successfully implemented between 2010 and 2012 to reduce California's budget deficit were centered around austerity. He primarily took the approach detailed in option c) Implementing austerity measures and reducing public spending. During this period, Brown focused on cutting state expenses and reducing the size of government, rather than employing expansive fiscal measures like increased spending on public services or expanding entitlement programs. Moreover, in contrast to tax cuts to stimulate economic growth, which tends to be preferred by conservatives, Brown's approach was to tackle the budget deficit through spending reductions.
It is also important to understand the broader context of fiscal policy. The federal government, in response to the Great Recession, passed an $830 billion package that included both tax cuts and government spending increases in an attempt to stimulate the economy. This was in line with traditional expansionary fiscal policy, which aims to boost economic activity through increased government spending and/or tax cuts. However, state and local governments, including Brown's California, were simultaneously cutting back on spending due to the significant reduction in revenues caused by the recession.