Governing California in the Twenty-First Century

by Melissa Michelson, Nadine Koch, Jolly Emrey

Overview

Governing California in the Twenty-First Century introduces students to the major institutions and processes of California state politics and teaches them to think critically about how these processes affect their lives. Using contemporary examples and updated data on hot topics--such as the 2022 midterm election results, the impact of the recall vote for Governor Gavin Newsom, and the continuing challenges posed by the pandemic and wildfires--Governing California shows students why state government matters. Building on the work of new co-author Melissa Michelson (Menlo College), who has expanded the coverage of race and ethnicity throughout the text, the Ninth Edition features the new California and the Nation section in each chapter, which provides in-depth perspectives on how California's actions on issues of justice, diversity, and inclusion intersect with politics and compare to actions of the rest of the nation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781324039266
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	12/26/2022
Edition description:	Ninth Edition
Pages:	360
Sales rank:	387,512
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Melissa R. Michelson is professor of political science at Menlo College, where she teaches classes in California Politics, civil liberties, campaigns and elections, and political marketing. She is a nationally recognized expert in voter mobilization, Latinx politics, and LGBTQ rights. In her spare time, she knits and runs marathons.

Nadine Koch is a professor of political science at Cal State LA. She teaches courses on American government, politics and the media, public opinion, and research methods.

Jolly Emrey is professor of political science at UW-Whitewater and former professor at Cal State LA. She specializes in constitutional law and civil rights and publishes regularly in the fields of public law and public policy.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

1 California Government: Promise and Practice 1

The California Dream? 2

Why Study California Politics? 2

What Determines the Content and Character of California's Politics? 5

Who Are Californians? 5

Who Are Californians? How Is the California Population Changing? 6

The Crisis of California Politics 10

The Ease of Passing Initiatives 11

Term Limits 12

The Two-Thirds Requirement for Raising Taxes 12

Lack of Consensus on Fundamental Questions 13

Reform Ideas 14

Conclusion 16

A Guide to This Book 16

Study Guide 17

2 The Constitution and the Progressive Legacy 21

The Rules of the Game: California's Constitution 24

The 1849 Constitution 24

The 1879 Constitution 26

From 1900 to 1917: The Progressive Movement 30

From 1918 to the Present: Late Revisions 31

The Progressive Movement and Its Impact on California Politics 32

Local Politics 32

Who Are Californians? Who Draws the Lines In California? 33

State Politics 35

Direct Democracy 37

Initiative 37

Referendum 42

Recall 43

Debating the Merit of Direct Democracy 44

California's Constitution: Where Are We Now? 46

Study Guide 47

3 Interest Groups and the Media in California 53

Character of Interest Groups 54

Diversity of Interest Groups 55

Proliferation of Interest Groups 57

Interest-Group Strategies 60

Lobbyists 60

Campaign Contributions to Candidates 61

Who Are Californians? Who Spends Money In California Politics? 64

Grassroots Mobilization 65

The Legislature, Bribes, and Scandals 66

Regulating Campaign Contributions 68

Clean-Money Elections 71

Contribution Limits 71

Conflict-of-interest Laws 71

The Media 72

Television 72

Newspapers 73

The Internet 74

Media and Political Campaigns 76

Interest-Group Politics in California: Where Are We Now? 76

Study Guide 78

4 Parties and Elections in California 83

Political Parties 84

The Progressive Impact on Political Parties 84

The Democratic and Republican Parties in California 85

Third Parties in California 87

Party Affiliation of California Voters 88

California's Local Political Cultures from Left to Right 93

Elections in California 95

The Battle over the Primary 95

Presidential Primaries: Maximizing California's Gout? 98

Initiative Campaigns: Direct Democracy or Tool of Special interests? 99

The 2003 Gubernatorial Recall Election 102

The 2008 Election: Demographic and Ideological Shifts 103

The 2010 General Election 103

The 2012 Primary Election 104

The 2012 General Election: More Demographic and Ideological Shifts 105

The 2014 Election 106

The 2016 Primary Election 107

The 2016 General Election 107

The 2018 Election 110

The 2020 Primary Election 113

The 2020 General Election 114

Campaigning in California 117

Money and Politics: California Style 117

Campaign-Finance Reform in California 119

Voting in California 120

How You Can Register to Vote 120

Who Votes in California? 121

Who Are Californians? Who Votes in California? 124

What Reforms Are Needed? 127

Study Guide 128

5 The California Legislature 133

Functions 135

Representation 135

Policy Making 137

Members and Districts 137

Elections 139

Fund-Raising 140

Districting 140

Organization 142

Leadership 142

Committees 144

Staff 145

Legislative Process 146

Differences from U.S. Congress 148

Challenges Facing the California Legislature 149

Money 150

Term Limits, Knowledge Expertise, and Diversity 150

Who Are Californians? How Diverse Is the State Legislature? 153

Partisanship 154

Gridlock, Minority Rule, and Lack of Accountability 154

Initiatives 155

Recent Sessions of the State Legislature 156

California Legislature: Where Are We Now? 157

Study Guide 158

6 The Governor and the Executive Branch 163

The Invisible Governor? 164

Formal Powers of the Governor 167

Appointments 167

Independent Executive Actions 169

Commander in Chief 169

Organizing and Managing the Executive Branch 170

Budget 171

Veto and Line-Item Veto 172

Legislative Powers 172

Legislative Recommendations 173

Judicial Powers 173

Public Roles of the Governor 174

Gavin Newsom as Governor 175

Structure of the Executive Branch 176

Personal Staff 176

Who Are Californians? How Does California's Governorship Compare? 178

The Cabinet and Agency Heads 179

The Plural Elected Executive 179

Agencies and the Bureaucracy 183

California Executive Branch: Where Are We Now? 184

Study Guide 185

7 The California Judiciary 189

Structure of the California Judicial System 192

The Lower Courts 192

The Supreme Court 192

Jurisdiction 194

Access to the Court 195

Federalism and the California Courts: The Case of Medical Marijuana 196

Judicial Selection 198

Judicial Elections 200

Who Are Californians? Who Are California's Judges? 201

Removing Judges from the Bench 204

Contemporary Issues in the Judiciary 204

Change in the Court 204

Legislative Redistricting 204

Judicial Review and the Statewide Initiative 205

Caseload 206

California Courts: Where Are We Now? 208

Study Guide 209

8 The State Budget and Budgetary Limitations 213

How Is the Budget Formed? 215

Executive Proposal 215

Legislative Adoption 215

Gubernatorial Action 217

Implementation 218

What Is in the Budget 219

Revenues 219

Who Are Californians? Where Does California's Government Spend Its Money? 222

Why Do Revenues Vary So Much? 224

Is California Overtaxed? 224

Expenditures 228

Budgetary Limitations 230

Recent California Budgets and the Budget Process 232

Study Guide 233

9 Local Government 237

The Legal Framework: Dillon's Rule, Home Rule, and Local Powers of Governance 238

County Governments 239

Legal Framework 240

Who Are Californians? Who Lives in California's Counties? 241

County Government Organization 242

County Government Functions and Responsibilities 243

Local Agency Formation Commissions 245

City Governments 246

Legal Framework 246

Incorporation and Dissolution 246

City Government Functions and Responsibilities 247

City Government Revenues and Expenditures 248

Forms of City Government and the Legacy of Progressive Structural Reforms 248

Special Districts 255

School and Community College Districts 255

Nonschool Special Districts 256

Legal Framework 256

How Special Districts Are Created 256

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Special Districts 257

Regional Governments 257

Regulatory Regional Governments 258

Advisory Regional Governments 259

Local Government: Where Are We Now? 260

The Housing Crisis 261

Income Inegualtty 264

Study Guide 265

10 Public Policy in California 269

Contemporary Policy Issues 270

Who Are Californians? Who Is Incarcerated in California? 272

Public Policy Challenges 273

Water Policy 275

Health Insurance 277

Employer-Sponsored Insurance 278

Single-Payer Proposal 278

Individual Health Insurance Marketplace 279

Medi-Cal 279

Medicare 280

TRICARE 281

The Uninsured 281

Who Are Californians? Who Are California's 3 Million Uninsured? 282

California's Infrastructure 283

Highways 283

Levees 284

The Future of California's Infrastructure 285

Conclusion 286

Study Guide 287

Answer Key 291

Notes 292

Credits 303

Index 304