California Politics: A Primer / Edition 4

by Renée B. Van Vechten

Overview

California Politics: A Primer concisely explains how California’s history, political culture, rules, and institutions work together to shape its political landscape. Author Renee Van Vechten begins with a brief political history of the state, then walks through direct democracy, the legislature, executive branch, and court system, covers local government, and concludes with discussion of the state’s budget process, campaigns and elections, political engagement, and major policy issues facing the state. The thoroughly revised Fourth Edition includes new maps and coverage of the political problems raised by persistent drought, prison reform, immigration, political disengagement among young Californians, new laws affecting voting and elections, and the controversy over mandatory vaccination of schoolchildren.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781483375595
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	02/02/2016
Edition description:	Fourth Edition
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Renée Bukovchik Van Vechten is a professor of political science at the University of Redlands. She earned a B.A. in political science from the University of San Diego and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Irvine. Van Vechten’s political science research examines legislative processes and behavior, including the impacts of political reforms such as term limits. In addition to teaching about California politics, her courses concentrate on American institutions such as Congress, as well as the politics of food, the environment, and reform. Her expertise on state-level politics and policy is evident in her textbook, California Politics: A Primer, and her scholarship on pedagogy and instructional practices has extended to curricular planning, research methods, online discussion forums, simulations, and internships. Van Vechten is an executive board member for Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honors society. She has served on the APSA Council and Executive Board as chair of the Teaching and Learning Policy Committee, and as chair of the APSA Political Science Education organized member section. She has thrice been a track moderator for the APSA Teaching and Learning Conference, and was a founding co-chair for the first TLC at APSA in 2018. Service to APSA includes membership on awards committees, the Presidential Task Force on Technology (2015–2016) that helped establish APSA’s online teaching library, EDUCATE, and the working group, “Rethinking the Undergraduate Political Science Major.” Van Vechten is also active in the Western Political Science Association, having co-chaired a conference-within-a-conference on teaching and learning several times. She has received several teaching awards, including the Rowman and Littlefield Award for Innovative Teaching in Political Science (via APSA) in 2008, APSA’s only national teaching award at that time. A resident of San Diego County, she is frequently consulted by local media for commentary about state and national politics.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

1 Introduction 1

Principles for Understanding California Politics 4

2 Critical Junctures: California's Political History in Brief 9

Early California 9

The Rise of the Southern Pacific Railroad 11

Progressivism 12

The Power of Organized Interests 15

Growth and Industrialization in the Golden State 16

The Initiative Process Takes Hold 17

Hyperdiversity in a Modern State 19

Recalling a Governor 21

Pushing Ahead with More Reforms 21

Democratic Government and the Return of Jerry Brown 22

Conclusion: Political Earthquakes and Evolving Institutions 23

3 Direct Democracy 27

The Statewide Initiative Process 27

Preparation Stage: Drafting, Public Review, and Titling 29

Qualification Stage: Circulating Petitions and Verifying Signatures 30

Campaigning Stage: Persuading Potential Voters 30

Postelection Stage: Court Challenges and Implementation 32

The Power of the Initiative Process 35

Referendum 36

Recall 37

Direct Democracy at the Local Level 38

Conclusion: The Perils and Promises of Hybrid Democracy 41

4 The State Legislature 45

Design, Purpose, and Function of the Legislature 45

California Representatives at Work 47

Policymaking and Lawmaking 51

Annual Budgeting 56

Constituency Service and Outreach 58

Executive Branch Oversight 58

Leaders 58

Conclusion: Of the People, for the People 60

5 The Executive Branch 63

California's Plural Executive 63

California's Governor 66

Head of State 67

Chief Executive 67

Legislative Powers 68

Budgeting Power 68

Chief of Security 69

Sources of Power 69

The Constitutional Executive Officers 70

Administrators and Regulators 73

Conclusion: Competition for Power 76

6 The Court System 79

The Three-Tiered Court System 80

On and Off the Court 82

Court Administration 85

Juries 86

Criminal Justice and Its Costs 86

Conclusion: Access to Justice 90

7 Other Governments 93

County Government 93

Municipal Governments 97

Special Districts 103

School Districts 103

Regional Governments 105

Federalism 105

Tribal Governments 106

Conclusion: The State's Interlocking Systems 111

8 The California Budget Process 113

California Budgeting 101 113

Mechanics of Budgeting: Revenue 115

Mechanics of Budgeting: Expenditures, Deficits, and Debt 118

Political Constraints on Budgeting 122

Tax Burden: Highest in the Nation? 125

Conclusion: Budgeting under Variable Conditions 127

9 Political Parties, Elections, and Campaigns 129

Democratic Stronghold, but Weakly Partisan 131

Party in the California Electorate 132

Party in Government 134

Party Organizations 136

Party in Informal Networks 137

Elections: Continuity and Change 137

California Campaigns 140

Conclusion: A Complex Electorate 144

10 Political Engagement 147

Citizens and Politics 147

News Sources and Media Habits 147

Political Engagement and Disengagement 149

Major Voting Trends 151

Special Interest Groups: Indirectly Connecting Citizens to Government 155

Conclusion: An Evolving Political Community 159

11 Concluding Thoughts: Political Paradoxes and Effective Government 163

Index 171

About the Author 177

Editorial Reviews

"Van Vechten's book is the best introduction to California politics available. Covering topics from direct democracy to citizen engagement, her analysis of California politics is of such high quality that I often use this book as my main political science textbook, even in American politics courses. "

David Selby

The strengths of Van Vechten’s text are its brevity and its preference for straight talking. Students appreciate the absence of hyperbole and exaggeration that tends to accompany a lot of the discussion of California politics. I am relieved to have found the book, especially since it is so much more affordable and readable than others. ”

Sarah John

I feel the text covers the basics of state government in California and provides a solid foundation from which to expand an examination of the system of government in the golden state...One of the better texts covering the California government.

Steven Marin

This text does an excellent job providing a broad-based understanding of the California governance. It is easy to read and the publisher provides resources to assist in teaching.

Dr. Roger Lang

A thorough yet concise overview of California institutions, politics, and initiative process, grounded in an overview of California’s political culture.”

Ronnee Schreiber

California Politics provides students with the nuts and bolts necessary to understand what goes on in Sacramento, while also giving them the tools they need to delve deeper into the process if they desire.”

David Fisk

Van Vechten renders the material approachable. Her writing style has a narrative flow, but the language is not simplistic. The clear visuals assist students in honing their abilities to comprehend non-narrative information.”

Maria Sampanis

The Van Vechten text is balanced, covers the state’s history well for a short book, has a healthy skepticism about California’s direct democracy system, is brief, and is good value for the price. A number of students commented that the book was easy to read, understandable, and they liked that it didn’t talk down to them. Very few Californians understand the consequences of the structural nature of many of California’s problems and Van Vechten does a good job of pointing these out.”

Diana Dwyre