California The Politics of Diversity

by Lawrence, David G.

• ISBN13: 9780495189831
• ISBN10: 0495189839
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-01-17
• Publisher: Cengage Learning

Summary

Written by someone who teaches the California Politics course and who has worked in local government, this text is a comprehensive, thematically-organized treatment of California politics. This text uses two themes-diversity and hyperpluralism-that make this state's political climate so interesting. In particular, the author examines the growing proliferation of pressures and groups that compete for attention and make governing the state increasingly challenging. And, to illustrate the connection between California politics and American politics, the author discusses aspects of American politics-such as the democratic, elite, and pluralist theories-and how these broader concepts add new clarity and depth to any understanding of California politics.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. XV
Foundations of California Politics	p. 1
Explaining California Politics	p. 3
In Brief	p. 3
Introduction	p. 4
How Diversity Explains California Politics	p. 5
Land	p. 6
Regions	p. 6
Resources	p. 7
People	p. 7
Economy	p. 11
How Political Theory Explains California Politics	p. 12
Democratic Theory	p. 12
Elite Theory	p. 13
Pluralist Theory	p. 14
Hyperpluralism	p. 15
How Hyperpluralism Explains California Politics	p. 15
The Constancy of Individualism	p. 15
A Diversity of Interests and Cultures	p. 16
Fading Majoritarianism	p. 16
Structural Conflict	p. 17
California: The Ironies of Diversity	p. 17
Key Terms	p. 18
Review Questions	p. 19
Web Activities	p. 19
Notes	p. 19
California's Political Development	p. 21
In Brief	p. 21
Introduction	p. 22
The Idea of Political Culture	p. 22
The Idea of Political Development	p. 23
The Politics of Unification	p. 23
Spanish "Rule"	p. 24
Mexican "Control"	p. 24
Statehood	p. 25
The 1849 Constitution	p. 26
The Politics of Modernization	p. 27
The Gold Rush	p. 21
The Big Four	p. 21
Water	p. 29
Other Modernizing Factors	p. 31
The Politics of Welfare	p. 32
The Progressive Movement	p. 32
The Great Depression	p. 32
Earl Warren	p. 32
Edmund G. (Pat) Brown	p. 34
The Politics of Abundance and Beyond	p. 35
Key Terms	p. 31
Review Questions	p. 31
Web Activities	p. 38
Notes	p. 38
Constitutionalism and Federalism: The Perimeters of California Politics	p. 40
In Brief	p. 40
Introduction: Rules and Boundaries	p. 41
California's Constitution	p. 42
What It Contains	p. 43
What Makes It Distinctive	p. 44
California and the Nation: The Bounderies of Federalism	p. 47
Dual Federalism	p. 47
Cooperative Federalism	p. 47
Centralized Federalism	p. 47
On Your Own Federalism	p. 48
Progmatic Federalism	p. 48
Federalism and California's Native Americans	p. 49
California in Washington	p. 50
California and the World: The Politics of Fences	p. 52
Immigration	p. 53
Trade	p. 55
Conclusion	p. 55
Key Terms	p. 56
Review Questions	p. 56
Web Activities	p. 57
Notes	p. 57
Political Participation in California	p. 59
Direct Democracy in a Hyperpluralistic Age	p. 61
In Brief	p. 61
The Impact of Progressivism	p. 62
Progressivism: California Style	p. 63
Selected Initiative Battles in California	p. 64
Proposition 13: Give the Money Back	p. 65
Proposition 5: Casino Fever	p. 67
Proposition 22: Gay Marriage	p. 67
Propostion 71: Stem Cell Research	p. 69
The Initiative Mess	p. 70
Prospect for Initiative Reform	p. 75
Progressive Cousins: Referandum and Recall	p. 76
State Level Recalls	p. 76
Local Level Recalls	p. 77
Conclusion: The Legacy and the Paradox	p. 77
Key Terms	p. 78
Review Questions	p. 78
Web Activities	p. 79
Notes	p. 79
The Political Behavior of Californians	p. 81
In Brief	p. 81
Forms of Participation in a Democracy	p. 82
Conventional Participation	p. 82
The Exit Option	p. 83
The Protest Option	p. 84
Voters and Nonvoters in California	p. 85
Who Votes in California?	p. 85
Those Who Cannot Vote	p. 85
Those Who Will Not Vote	p. 87
Partisanship in California	p. 89
Party Affiliation	p. 89
The Partisan Geography of California	p. 91
California's Electoral Gaps	p. 91
Conclusion: Divided by Diversity	p. 94
Key Terms	p. 95
Review Questions	p. 95
Web Activities	p. 95
Notes	p. 96
Linking People and Policymakers	p. 98
In Brief	p. 98
Introduction	p. 99
Mass Media	p. 100
Newspapers	p. 100
Television	p. 102
Radio	p. 104
The Internet	p. 104
Political Parties	p. 104
Political Parties: California Style	p. 105
How the Parties are Organized	p. 107
Surrogate Parties	p. 108
Endorsement Politics	p. 108
Elections	p. 110
Campaign Professionals and Pollsters	p. 110
The Role of Money	p. 112
California Elections and National Politics	p. 113
Interest Groups	p. 114
California Groups: Who are They?	p. 115
How Interest Groups Organize	p. 117
What Interest Groups Do	p. 118
Conclusion: Competing for Influence	p. 119
Key Terms	p. 120
Review Questions	p. 120
Web Activities	p. 120
Notes	p. 121
Political Institutions in California	p. 123
Legislative Politics	p. 125
In Brief	p. 125
Introduction: The Road to Proposition 140	p. 126
California's Legislative History	p. 127
What the Legislature Does	p. 128
Policymaking	p. 129
Representation	p. 129
Executive Oversight	p. 131
Civic Education	p. 133
Getting There and Staying There	p. 133
Recruitment	p. 133
Why They Stay: Rewards of Office	p. 134
How They Stay: Reapportionment Politics	p. 135
The 2001 Reapportionment	p. 136
Organizing to Legislate	p. 137
The Role of Leadership	p. 131
The Committee System	p. 141
The Staff	p. 142
The Legislative Process	p. 142
The Third House	p. 144
Conclusion	p. 147
Key Terms	p. 147
Review Questions	p. 147
Web Activities	p. 148
Notes	p. 148
Executive Politics	p. 150
In Brief	p. 150
Introduction	p. 151
How Governors Lead	p. 152
The Governor's Duties and Powers	p. 155
Executive Powers	p. 156
Budget Leadership	p. 158
Legislative Powers	p. 159
Judicial Powers	p. 161
Other Powers	p. 162
The Plural Executive: Competing for Power	p. 162
Lieutenant Governor	p. 162
Attorney General	p. 163
Secretary of State	p. 164
Superintendent of Public Instruction	p. 164
Insurance Commissioner	p. 165
Fiscal Officers	p. 165
California's Bureaucracy and the Politics of Diversity	p. 167
Functions of Bureaucracy	p. 167
Power Sharing and Clout	p. 168
Executive Branch Reform	p. 168
Conclusion	p. 169
Key Terms	p. 169
Review Questions	p. 170
Web Activities	p. 170
Notes	p. 170
California's Judiciary	p. 172
In Brief	p. 172
Introduction	p. 173
State Courts in Our Legal "System"	p. 174
How California's Courts Are Organized	p. 174
Trial Courts	p. 175
Appellate Courts	p. 176
Supreme Court	p. 176
So You Want to Be a Judge	p. 176
Entering the Profession	p. 177
The Right Experience	p. 178
Selection Mechanics	p. 178
Judicial Discipline	p. 179
How Courts Make Decisions	p. 180
The Criminal Process	p. 181
The Civil Process	p. 182
Juries and Popular Justice	p. 183
How Courts Make Policy	p. 183
Trial Court Policymaking	p. 184
Appellate Court Policymaking	p. 184
Criminal Justice and Punishment	p. 185
Conclusion	p. 189
Key Terms	p. 190
Review Questions	p. 190
Web Activities	p. 190
Notes	p. 191
Community Politics	p. 193
In Brief	p. 193
Introduction	p. 194
The Role of Community	p. 195
The Limits of Community Government	p. 196
Counties	p. 198
The Shape of County Government	p. 198
County Troubles	p. 201
Cities	p. 202
How Communities Become Municipalities	p. 203
"Cities" Without "Government"	p. 204
How California Cities are Run	p. 204
Cities and Counties: An Uneasy Relationship	p. 208
Special Districts	p. 208
What Makes Them Special?	p. 209
The Stealth Governments of California	p. 209
Special District Politics and Problems	p. 209
School Districts	p. 211
Regional Governments	p. 212
Conclusion: Diverse Communities, Diverse Governments	p. 213
Key Terms	p. 214
Review Questions	p. 214
Web Activities	p. 214
Notes	p. 215
Budget Policy: The Cost of Diversity	p. 216
In Brief	p. 216
Introduction: Budgeting as Public Policy	p. 217
Where Budgeting Begins: The Economy	p. 219
Economic Diversity	p. 219
Today's Challenge: A Two-Tier Economy	p. 219
California's Local Economies	p. 219
The Budget Process	p. 220
How California Budgeting Works	p. 220
Constraints on the Process	p. 222
Local Budget Processes	p. 223
Types of Revenue	p. 224
Major State Revenues	p. 225
Local Revenue	p. 229
Where The Money Goes	p. 231
State Expenditures	p. 231
Local Expenditures	p. 232
The Need for Budget Reform	p. 233
Conclusion: The Cost of Diversity	p. 234
Key Terms	p. 234
Review Questions	p. 234
Web Activities	p. 235
Notes	p. 235
Policies Stemming from Growth	p. 237
In Brief	p. 237
Introduction: Growth in California	p. 238
Why California Grew	p. 239
The Drumbeat of Growth	p. 240
Structuring Local Growth	p. 242
No-Growth Politics in California	p. 242
Water: Making Growth Possible	p. 243
Storing Water	p. 244
Moving Water	p. 245
Recent Water Developments	p. 248
Housing: For Many, the Impossible Dream	p. 248
The California Dream	p. 248
Housing Policy as Filter "Down"	p. 249
Affordability	p. 249
Transportation: Stuck in Traffic	p. 250
The Problem	p. 250
California's Transportation Policies	p. 252
Energy and Environment	p. 253
Energy	p. 253
Environment	p. 253
Conclusion: A New Growth Policy for California?	p. 255
Key Terms	p. 251
Review Questions	p. 257
Web Activities	p. 251
Notes	p. 258
Policies Stemming from Diversity	p. 259
In Brief	p. 259
Introduction: The Challenge of Diversity	p. 260
California Policy as Group Struggle	p. 262
Social Issues: Abortionand Gay Rights	p. 263
Abortion	p. 263
Gay Rights	p. 265
Education: Coping with Growth and Diversity	p. 266
Pressures on Education	p. 266
Education Reform	p. 268
Higher Education: An Uncertain Future	p. 270
The Majoritarian Ideal	p. 270
Rethinking the Plan	p. 271
Diversity on Campus	p. 272
Social Programs	p. 273
Welfare Policy	p. 273
Health Policy	p. 275
Immigration: Conflict over Newcomers	p. 277
Federal Policies, California Impacts	p. 278
California's Immigration "Policy"	p. 279
Conclusion	p. 279
Key Term	p. 280
Review Questions	p. 281
Web Activities	p. 281
Notes	p. 281
Index	p. 283
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