The California State Constitution

by Grodin, Joseph R.; Massey, Calvin R.; Cunningham, Richard B.

• ISBN13: 9780199778959
• ISBN10: 0199778957
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-04-19
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

The California Constitution is one of the longest in the world and has been revised over 500 times since its original drafting in 1849. In its current incarnation, the constitution reflects the state's mistrust of elected officials, gives cities and towns broad home rule powers, and outlines governance for the state's university system. The California State Constitutionprovides an outstanding constitutional and historical account of the state's basic governing charter. In addition to an overview of California's constitutional history, it offers an in-depth, section-by-section analysis of the entire constitution, detailing the many significant changes that have been made since its initial drafting in 1849. This treatment, along with a table of cases, index, and the bibliography provides an unsurpassed reference guide for students, scholars, and practitioners of California's constitution. The Oxford Commentaries on the State Constitutions of the United Statesis an important new series that reflects a renewed international interest in constitutional history and provides expert insight into each of the 50 state constitutions. Each volume in this innovative series contains a historical overview of the state's constitutional development, a section-by-section analysis of its current constitution, and a comprehensive guide to further research. Under the expert editorship of Professor G. Alan Tarr, Director of the Center on State Constitutional Studies at Rutgers University, this series provides essential reference tools for understanding state constitutional law. Books in the series can be purchased individually or as part of a complete set, giving readers unmatched access to these important political documents.

Author Biography

Joseph R. Grodin is Professor of Law, Hastings College of Law, University of California. Professor Grodin is the former Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court and is the author of In Pursuit of Justice (1989), among many other works dealing with state constitutional practice.

Calvin R. Massey is Associate Professor of Law, Hastings College of Law, where he teaches state constitutional law and American constitutional history. Professor Massey has written extensively on constitutional issues.

Richard B. Cunningham is Professor of Law at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law

Table of Contents

Foreword by Chief Justice Malcolm M. Lucas
The Constitutional History of California
The American Acquisition of California: Cry Aloud for Independence!
The 1849 Constitution and California Statehood: Born in different climes,...assembled...as Californians
The 1879 Constitution: A sort of mixture of constitution, code, stump speech, and mandamus
The Progressive Movement: Give us a square deal for Christ's sake
Constitutional Change after the Progressive Movement: Constant amendment has produced an instrument bad in form
The Rise and Threatened Decline of an Independent California Constitution: Rights guaranteed by this Constitution are not dependent on those guaranteed by the United States Constitution
The California Constitution and Commentary
Bibliography
Table of Cases
Index