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ModAmerica.CalifPoliticsbyGeorgeGastil.slightlyrevised2018.docCalifornia Politics
An Introduction with Suggested Online Resources
By George Gastil
Prologue
Consider the lives of these three people:
A single mother is raising two young children. One of them has a serious illness and needs medical treatment. Her job pays enough for her to feed her children and rent an apartment, but she does not have health insurance.
An 18-year old student graduates from high school. She is not sure what she wants to do for a living, but she is pretty sure it will involve a college education.
A young couple is looking for a home. They both recently got jobs in downtown San Diego, but they really want to live away from the big city.
These people all have something in common. Each of them is likely to benefit from decisions made by our state government.
The single mother might be eligible for health insurance programs that are funded largely by the state. Even without health insurance, she could bring her child to a county hospital emergency room.
The young student can attend any community college in the state for only $36/unit, just a tiny fraction of the real cost of her education. She also might be able to attend one of the campuses of the California State University or the University of California, where the tuition is higher but the state is still paying a large share of every student’s education.
The young couple will end up living in one of a variety of communities that have been developed according to state and local guidelines. If the community was well planned it will have schools, parks, a library, and other things people value. To get to work they will either drive on state funded roads or use state funded public transportation systems.
State government has a tremendous effect on our daily lives, whether we realize it or not. I think more people need to understand what our state government does and how we can work to make our state more effective. I hope you find this introduction helpful.
Overview of California Government and Politics
A. State government—legislative, executive and judicial.
B. Local government: cities, counties and regional governments.
C. School Boards, Colleges and Universities
D. Special Districts
E. State/Federal Relations
F. Public Policy Issues; Special Public Policy Focus on Education
G. Elections: Voters and Candidates
H. Interest Groups: Political Action and Lobbying
I. Political Philosophies
A. California’s State Government—legislative, executive and judicial
When people think of California’s government, they usually think of the three branches of statewide governance: the state legislature, the executive branch, and the state courts. Our state government actually includes many entities, such as counties, cities, school boards, and water districts. We also have regulatory agencies that are appointed rather than elected, such as the State Lands Commission and the California Environmental Protection Agency. All of these bodies ultimately get their power from the three major branches of state government.
Fun Fact: Sacramento is our capital city, and most people assume that all three branches are based there. The legislature and the executive branch are based in Sacramento, but our State Supreme Court is actually based in San Francisco.
The state legislature consists of the State Assembly and State Senate. The Assembly has 80 members and the Senate has 40. Each state legislator is elected from a district that is redrawn every ten years. A State Assembly member represents 1/80 of the state, or about 466,000 people, based on 2010 Census. A State Senator represents twice that number. When the state population reaches 40 million people, each State Senate district will contain about a million people!
Population inevitably grows faster in some areas than in others. For that reason, the districts must be redrawn every decade to assure that they are roughly equal in population. The process of redrawing district boundaries is called Redistricting. Redistricting of State Assembly and State Senate districts used to be done by the legislature, but many people believed it was a conflict of interest for legislators to be able to design their own districts. In 2008 voters decided to give the power to an independent commission. (In 2010 the voters decided to expand the role of the independent commission to also include drawing districts for the U.S. House of Representatives.)
In a large metropolitan area such as San Diego, several State Assembly members represent various parts of San Diego as well as the smaller cities and suburbs nearby. In a more rural area, such as the northeastern part of California, one State Assembly member will represent several counties.
Fun Fact: Originally the members of the State Senate represented counties or groups of small counties. In this way it was similar to the United States Senate, in which Senators represent states. In 1965 the United States Supreme Court ruled that every legislator must represent approximately the same number of people. This was called “one man, one vote.” Because California’s counties are all very different in size it is impossible for Senators to represent counties in any exact way.
In 1990 the voters approved Proposition 140, which limits the number of terms that legislators may serve. According to Prop 140, Assembly members could serve three two-year terms for a total of six years and State Senators could serve two four-year terms for a total of eight years.
In 2012 the voters approved Proposition 28, which changed the term limits. Instead of setting separate term limits for the Assembly and Senate, Prop 28 set a limit of 12 years for service in the legislature. For example, someone could serve twelve years in the Assembly, but then they couldn’t serve in the Senate. If they serve eight years in the Assembly, they could serve for four years in the Senate.
The people who support term limits have argued that legislators lose touch with the citizens if they are in office a long time. They argue that legislative service is not supposed to be a lifetime career, and it is good to get new people coming in every year.
Opponents of term limits argue that legislators need time to learn the issues, and that it is helpful for legislators to be around for a while to see the results of their efforts. With legislators constantly coming and going there is not enough ability to work on long term solutions to the state’s problems.
Most types of legislation can pass by majority vote in each house of the legislature. This means 41 Assembly members and 21 State Senators must vote for a bill. If a legislator is absent or chooses not to vote, this is noted, but the real effect is essentially the same as if they voted against the bill.
Some items require a two-thirds vote. This is a requirement for tax increases. The two-thirds vote was required for passing a budget as well, until voters changed that in November 2010 with the passage of Proposition 25. Now the budget may be passed with a majority vote, like most bills.
As a result of the 2012 elections, the Democrats gained 2/3 or more of the seats in both houses of the legislature that has mostly held up since that point. This is called a supermajority. In theory, the Democrats could use their supermajority to pass laws, including tax increases, without any Republican support. They could also override the Governor, if he decides to veto legislation. In reality, the Democrats represent many different types of communities, so they are likely to disagree among themselves on various issues.
In California the executive branch is actually represented by several elected officials. The Governor is the official that people pay the most attention to, because he or she can sign and veto bills. Besides the Governor, we have seven other statewide elected officials: Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Controller, Insurance Commissioner and Superintendent of Public Instruction.
California also has a Board of Equalization with four members from different sections of the state plus the State Controller. This board is in charge of collecting various taxes. The board’s role has changed many times since it was created in 1879. In recent years some reforms removed most of the power from this board, so few people pay attention. A few leaders have used it as a stepping stone to more important offices.
Some political scientists argue that it is inefficient to have so many elected officials sharing power in the executive branch. The federal government only has a President and a Vice-President, who are elected together. In California the Governor does have a cabinet, similar to the federal government, with appointed officers such as a Secretary of Resources and a Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing (BTH). Some would argue that the governor could be appointing the Attorney General, Insurance Commissioner, etc.
Arguably, the voters have more control over their government if they get to elect various officers. On the other hand, having so many officers who are not appointed by the governor or the legislature can lead to confusion and wasted time. Also, I have noticed that most voters do not want to take the time to learn about so many elected offices.
The fact that Democrats won all seven of these offices in 2010 would seem to indicate that many voters are basing their decisions on party affiliation. (The office of State Superintendent is actually nonpartisan, though the two major political parties do tend to make endorsements in this race.)
California has a system of “checks and balances” much like the federal government. For example, the Governor can veto a bill that is passed by the legislature. The legislature can override a veto with a 2/3 vote.
In California the Governor also has what is known as the “line item veto” when it comes to the state budget. The Governor can cut single items from the budget without vetoing the entire budget. The legislature can overturn a line-item veto with a 2/3 vote.
California also has an initiative process that allows voters to put legislation on the statewide ballot for a direct vote of the people. (The items put on the statewide ballot, for the voters to decide, are called Propositions as in Proposition 1, Proposition 2, etc.) In this way the people function as both the legislative and executive branch, which goes against the basic idea of separation of powers. The people may enact legislation or even change the state constitution by majority vote. The only check on their power is the state court system, which has the authority to say if a law is constitutional.
Fun Fact: California’s Constitution has been amended by the voters about 500 times since it was enacted in 1879. It is the third longest constitution in the world, surpassed only by Alabama and India.
B. Local and Regional Government
Local governments in California get their authority from the state government. Most people are familiar with counties and cities. Here we will also discuss regional governments, which are created by combinations of county and city governments.
California is divided into 58 counties. County governments handle a wide range of concerns such as county hospitals, county libraries, the county sheriff and jail system, transportation systems, and welfare programs. They also provide oversight for cities and school districts that are within their jurisdiction.
Fun Fact: According to the 2010 census, the largest county in the state in population is Los Angeles County, with about 9,824,000 people, and the smallest is Alpine County with about one thousand people. San Diego County had about 3,104,000 people.
California has 480 incorporated municipalities generally known as cities. In San Diego County the largest city is San Diego with 1,306,000 people according to the 2010 census. Many people in the county live in medium or small sized cities such as Escondido (144,000), El Cajon (100,000), La Mesa (57,000) and Lemon Grove (25,000).
Large cities, such as San Diego and Chula Vista, typically have their own police and fire departments and provide a wide range of other services to their residents such as parks and recreation programs, libraries and animal control. Smaller cities often have a contract with their county government for services or purchase the services from a larger city. For example, the City of Lemon Grove has a contract with San Diego County for police protection and a contract with the City of Chula Vista for animal control.
County governments are particularly important for managing the many areas of the state that are known as unincorporated communities. “Unincorporated” means outside of the jurisdiction of a city.
In San Diego County we have several large and heavily populated unincorporated areas, such as Spring Valley, Lakeside, Ramona and Fallbrook. We also have many thinly populated unincorporated communities such as Pine Valley, Julian, and Borrego Springs.
Regional governments have become particularly important since the 1980s. Some, such as the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), include several counties and the cities within those counties. Others, such as the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) include all of the cities and unincorporated areas within a particular county.
Regional governments are responsible for long range planning. They consider needs for an area such as housing, transportation and economic development. They also provide valuable research on topics such as population growth, poverty, and crime in their region. Regional governments typically plan ten, twenty or even fifty years into the future.
Decision making in regional governments is done by a body of representatives from the cities in a region as well as the county. In California, voters do not actually vote for representatives to regional governments. If a voter lives in a city they can vote for city council members, and the city council members will choose one or more representatives from among the council.
Some other states have established regional governments in which the representatives are elected directly by the voters. Portland, Oregon, is perhaps the best example of an effective regional planning body that is elected directly by the voters.
C. School Boards, Colleges and Universities
California has over one thousand school boards dealing with elementary and secondary education. Some districts handle only elementary grades (K-6) while others handle grades Kindergarten through eighth grade (K-8). Others, such as the Grossmont Union High School District and the Escondido Union High School District, handle only high school.
Large urban areas such as San Diego often have “unified” school districts that handle all the students from Kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12). Sometimes rural areas can also have unified school districts, such as the Mountain Empire Unified School District that serves much of the backcountry in San Diego County.
City boundaries are often not the same as school district boundaries. For example, the Lemon Grove School District actually includes parts of San Diego and La Mesa as well as all of Lemon Grove. School districts are usually older than the incorporated cities that have developed in their area.
County school boards are crucial for supporting the districts within a county and educating students not served by individual school districts. The San Diego County Office of Education is responsible for aiding 42 school districts and also runs the Juvenile Court and Community Schools.
Nearly all school boards have five members that are elected by the voters in the area.
Public higher education in California is handled by the Community Colleges, the California State University and the University of California. In 1960 the state laid out a bold vision for these three entities known as the Master Plan for Higher Education.
Most of the higher education in our state happens in the California Community Colleges. This system has 110 colleges and enrolls about three million students.
Community colleges are locally controlled. California has 72 college districts, each with an elected board of trustees.
The second largest system of higher education in California is the California State University (CSU). This system grants the majority of four-year degrees in our state, as well as most of the teaching credentials, Masters Degrees, and many other professional degrees. The CSU is able to offer the doctorate in just a few fields.
The CSU is run by a Board of Governors appointed by the Governor and the Legislature.
The University of California is the other institution of public higher education. Their primary focus is research and graduate level education. Thousands of students choose to go there for undergraduate education as well, perhaps because of the prestige of campuses such as UCLA and Berkeley.
The University of California is run by a Board of Regents appointed by the Governor and the Legislature. The Lieutenant Governor serves as chair of the Board of Regents. The UC has its own charter and operates independently from the legislature, though it still depends on the legislature for funding. Recently, some legislators have proposed to make the UC more accountable to the legislature.
Often distinguished Californians from various fields serve on the UC Board of Regents. In recent times, the most famous regent has been Dolores Huerta, a co-founder of the United Farm Workers (UFW). Huerta was a teacher before she became a famous labor organizer.
D. Special Districts
Special Districts are independent elected bodies set up to deal with a specific need in a particular geographical area. There are over one thousand of these public entities in California, such as water districts, utility districts, and fire protection districts.
Some special districts are large and powerful, such as the Sacramento Municipal Utilities District (SMUD), the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) and the Imperial Irrigation District (IID). Other districts are not as well known but still very important, such as the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District (CVMVCD).
If you like long names, you might be impresed that the author once served on the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency (LOSSAN).
E. State/Federal Relations
Much of state government is actually funded or controlled to a great degree by the federal government. For example, California has a system of health insurance for the poor called MediCal that relies heavily on the federal program known as Medicaid.
California cities also benefit tremendously from federal programs such as Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), administered by the federal department of Housing and Urban Development.
Federal money has also been influential in shaping education policy in our state since the 1960s. For example, Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act provides funding for special programs in schools that serve low income communities.
Overall, most people would agree the federal government plays a key role in supporting state governments. However, this assistance can lead to confusion and controversy. School districts, cities and counties spend a great deal of time keeping track of state as well as federal guidelines.
Perhaps the greatest controversy comes from the fact that California residents pay more in federal taxes than we receive in federally funded services. In recent years, the estimate has been as low as 74 cents worth of services for every dollar paid to the federal government.
California government leaders generally try to stay in close contact with their elected federal representatives. California has the largest Congressional delegation, with 53 members of the House of Representatives and two Senators. The large delegation in the House has rarely functioned effectively as a group, however. They are often divided by partisan or ideological differences, or by regional differences within the state.
F. Public Policy Issues
Sections A-D described the basic structure of state government, with three branches at the state level and various bodies at the local or regional level. Section E described its relationship to the federal level. Section F will take a very different approach. Here we will be focusing on public policy issues that are addressed at many different levels.
Citizens often think of their government in terms of public policy issues. Here it helps to know which issues are dealt with by the federal government and which are primarily dealt with by state government. Some issues are clearly within the range of the federal government, such as foreign policy, social security and immigration. Most issues are dealt with by both the federal government and the state government, such as education, health care and transportation.
Some issues are dealt with almost entirely by state government, such as laws relating to the age at which a person can get married or purchase alcohol. Many people might not realize that states also have the ability to set the minimum voting age, as long as it is not set higher than eighteen years.
In every state the voting age is set at eighteen, but some states have considered legislation to lower the minimum to 16. In recent years the California legislature has also considered legislation to allow seventeen year olds to vote in primaries (held in June at that time) if they will be eighteen by the time of the general election in November.
Fun Fact: No state in the United States has lowered the voting age below eighteen but advocates for a lower voting age have had more success in Germany. Several of the states in Germany now allow persons as young as 16 to vote in municipal elections.
Laws relating to marriage and family life are typically state laws. In recent years this fact has been illustrated by the variety of laws related to couples of two men or two women. Before the US Supreme Courty ruled on this topic, a few states did allow for two people of the same sex to get married, while many others had provisions to recognize domestic partnerships with specific legal protections that are not as expansive as marriage. In fact, states actually differ in how they define the rights and responsibilities of marriage. If you compare various states you will notice they differ significantly in their laws related to divorce, child custody, and community property.
California state government tends to focus on eight major public policy areas: education, health care, social welfare, public safety, economic development, transportation, housing and water. Most of the money spent by our state, and most of the time spent in public discussion, centers around these eight major issues.
There are other issues, of course, such as civil rights, agriculture, utility regulation, public sector retirement benefits, labor issues, prison reform, and environmental protection. Eventually I plan to expand this document to cover all these issues, as well as others people might suggest.
Special Public Policy Focus: Education
Education is by far the largest part of the state budget. Here we will consider four particular types of education: Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Secondary Education, and Higher Education.
Though the state does have a significant role in regulating private schools and colleges, I will be focusing only on public education because that is the most important area for public debate and public expenditures.
Early Childhood Education, or preschool, is most commonly handled by the private sector, though the state government has taken on a major role in recent decades. (The federal government also plays a major role through the Head Start program.)
Most elementary school districts in California now operate preschools in addition to the traditional elementary grades. These preschools are funded by a program called State Preschool and also frequently by money from the First Five Commission.
The First Five Commission is an independent statewide commission funded by a specially designated part of the state tobacco tax. The Commission was created by Proposition 10, passed narrowly by the voters in 1998.
A growing body of research shows that preschool programs are effective for preparing students for elementary school. State funded preschool programs are targeted to reach children from low income families who may not be able to afford a private preschool program. The programs are also frequently targeted to reach students with special learning needs.
Elementary and Secondary Education is often considered one broad area. People involved in state government call this “K-12” because it involves kindergarten through twelfth grade. Forty percent of the state budget is devoted to K-12.
In 1988 a proposition called “Prop 98” established the current funding level for elementary and secondary education in California. Prop 98 is sometimes referred to as a “K-14” measure because it also includes the California Community College system.
In 1996 public education received another jolt with Class Size Reduction. This program provides funds to allow school districts to reduce class sizes to twenty in grades K-3 and also in secondary education classes for certain subjects. Public support has been very strong for lower class sizes, but many observers believe the same amount of money could have produced more positive benefit if spent in other ways such as expanding preschool opportunities and programs for students with reading difficulties.
Class Size Reduction led to a dramatic shortage of teachers in the late 1990s. Districts in low income communities found it increasingly difficult to attract and retain top quality teachers. To a great extent, these impacts have been minimized as teacher education programs train more teachers, often with student teaching experiences specifically focused on the needs of students in low-income communities.
Research tends to show that many of the academic gains attributed to lower class sizes are actually brought about by specific teaching techniques that can be used in small classes. For this reason, districts have invested in teacher training programs to maximize the benefit of class size reduction.
Perhaps the most exciting recent policy change came in 2013-2014 when the legislature enacted the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). This reform has allowed school districts to have far more control over how they spend dollars that come from the state. A large portion of state money has been tied up in what we call “categorial” funding, which meant that the money came with rather specific requirements for how it would be spent. Many people felt the system gave too much control to legislators and not enough control to the local districts. Assemblymember Shirley Weber, a former school board member in San Diego and a former faculty member at San Diego State Univeristy, played a key role in the development of the LCFF.
LCFF gave districts more control over how to use funds, but it also came with a requirement that they serve students who have historically had major challenges in the public school system. LCFF money is targeted to serve students in fall into three categories: low-income students, foster children, and English Language Learners (ELL). To get funding, districts need to show how they will use the money to serve students in these categories. Typically, programs that help disadvantged students actually end up helping create a teaching and learning environment that benefits all students.
Fun Fact: Of the five governors to serve California from 1974-2018, only one has actually had children in the public school system. Jerry Brown (1974-1982 and 2010-2108), Pete Wilson (1990-1998) and Gray Davis (1998-2003) have never had children. Arnold Schwarzenegger (2003-2010) sent his children to private school. Only George Deukmejian (1982-1990) had raised children who attended public school.
Higher Education is also a major part of the state budget, though the state’s commitment to public higher education has declined in recent years. Interestingly, researchers often point to a dramatic increase in state expenditures for prisons that has corresponded with a relative decrease in funding for higher education.
The state’s goals for higher education are outlined in the Master Plan for Higher Education, developed in 1960. The “Master Plan” is likely to be revised by the legislature in its fiftieth anniversary year.
The Master Plan calls for a system of community colleges that are free and open to all who can benefit. These colleges train the majority of professionals in California, particularly in fields such as nursing, child development, law enforcement and fire protection. They also are designed to support the two state university programs by providing the first two years of college for many students going on to four year colleges.
Community colleges also provide enrichment for adults and community programs that are not necessarily tied to vocational goals, though this role has been downplayed in recent decades.
Community colleges tend to be very popular in their local communities. Most Californians have attended one of the colleges or have a close relative who has attended. Voters are generally willing to approve construction bonds or other local efforts to support their local colleges.
Despite strong public support for individual colleges, California does not provide adequate funding for the system on a statewide basis. Most of the courses in community colleges are taught by part-time faculty who are poorly paid. The colleges have also started charging fees to help cover the costs of education, though the bulk of the cost is still handled by the state.
The problems in our community colleges were already well known before the most recent fiscal crisis began in 2008. Since 2008 the problems have become more serious. Colleges were forced to cut enrollment at a time when jobless people are trying to get into education programs. Even has the economy has drastically improved, funding levels had not fuly recovered as of 2018.
In 2008 the voters rejected Proposition 92, which would have set a guaranteed funding level for California Community Colleges. The loss may have been due to growing concerns about the state budget at the time. Despite the loss, many advocates for the college system felt the campaign reflects the growing political strength of their movement.
In 2018 Gavin Newsom won the race for Governor on a platform that included strong support for public higher education. Newsom was backed by unions representing the faculty in the Community Colleges (CCC) as well as the California State University (CSU). Only time will tell if Newsom reaches the expectations of his most enthusiastic supporters. More cautious observers might say the recent administration of Governor Jerry Brown (2010-2018) was actually supportive of higher education, but that Brown promised less simply because he was especially aware of budget constraints.
G. Elections: How Democracy Works in California
Voting:
In California, every U.S. citizen age 18 or older is allowed to vote, unless they are currently in prison or on parole for a felony. People who have served their time are allowed to vote in this state.
It is easy to register to vote in California. If you go to the California Secretary of State website (sos.ca.gov) you can print out a voter registration form and mail it in! You may also pick up a voter registration card at any post office or DMV.
After you register to vote, the County Registrar of Voters will send you confirmation of your registration. A few weeks before each election they will send you a voter pamphlet. The pamphlet includes a “sample ballot” with all the candidates and propositions you can vote for. People usually make marks on their sample ballot at home and bring it with them to the polling place. That makes voting a lot easier. (They usually keep extra copies of the pamphlet at polling places, to help out voters who lost their pamphlet.) The pamphlet also includes the address for your polling place and a form to send in if you want to vote by mail. The voter pamphlet also includes statements from local candidates who chose to pay a small fee to have their statements included.
You must re-register if you move. Many people take care of this at the DMV at the same time they update their driver’s license. There is a place for it on the same form you use to update or renew your driver’s license.
The Secretary of State’s website has answers for all of the common questions people have about voting at: www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_faq.htm.
Some people are unsure whether to choose a political party. There are two practical reasons you might want to select a party. One, it will allow you to vote for someone to be the presidential nominee of that party. Second, it will allow you to participate in organizations that are part of that political party.
If you ever want to change your political party status, you simply need to fill out a new voter registration form and check a different box.
California used to have a closed primary system in which people of a particular party would choose a nominee for that party. Now, we only have that system in California for the office of President of the United States.
In June 2010 voters passed Proposition 14, which brought us a form of open primary in which all the candidates appear on the same primary ballot. The top two vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of which party they belong to. We will start using this new open primary system in the next primary election, in June 2012.
Voters and Candidates:
California is a democracy, and the voters are in charge. However, voters often feel disconnected from the people who run for public office. Voters often complain that candidates are operating on a superficial level. Interestingly, the candidates often say that the voters are poorly informed about issues and candidates.
A healthy democracy requires a strong connection between the voters and the people they elect. Some people would see this as a personal connection; I would argue the most essential element in a democracy is an ongoing public discussion of major issues. Voters who are well informed about the issues have a much easier time finding candidates they want to support.
We also want candidates who are honest and that listen to the people. I would argue this is extremely hard to judge unless you have some solid information about their records.
We may also want candidates that speak well and inspire us. Being a good speaker will help them gain support for what they want to do, in which case they better have some good ideas! Really, it is the ideas that matter most.
Voters have a responsibility to carefully consider the leaders who would govern this state. This, in itself, is an enormous challenge when you consider the sheer number of offices a person must vote for and the number of candidates running. Who actually knows all the candidates for offices such as Attorney General, State Assembly, and their local city council, water district, and school and college boards? It is a daunting task.
To deal with the complexity of issues and offices to consider, voters have various tools they can use. One tool is political parties. Most people in California belong to a political party that reflects their views on certain issues. Many people, however, find that their views are not captured by one political party.
Organizations can also provide guidance. Some people turn to environmental groups, labor unions, or business organizations. I encourage people to find one or more organizations that reflect their views. Notice what they say about public policy issues and about what the candidates would do about those issues.
A great source of information, often overlooked, is the Voter Pamphlet, mentioned earlier, from the County Registrar of Voters. This typically arrives about a month before the election. It contains information about local candidates and local propositions. Voters also receive a different pamphlet that from the Secretary of State that covers the state propositions.
Another excellent source of information is the League of Women Voters of California. I have included this organization in the list of recommended online sources. During every regular election season the League operates a website called SmartVoter, where you can type in your address and all of the candidates and propositions on your ballot will appear. You can access this site at http://www.smartvoter.org. This is like the sample ballot provided by the Registrar of Voters, but with added features. The candidates are allowed to submit more information than they can in the county voter pamphlet. They can also submit a picture, which will help you remember if you saw the candidate at a forum or community gathering. They are also allowed to update the information to reflect issues or concerns that come up during the campaign.
People often feel they are disconnected from “the politicians.” In reality, the fundamental problem is that voters are disconnected from each other. When a significant number of ordinary citizens start meeting and discussing important issues, political leaders tend to show up to address those issues.
We should also consider the role of candidates for office. Most people run because they think they can do something positive. In this sense they are really no different from the voters. So, why do candidates often appear to be disconnected from voters?
One reason is money. If you are running for an office with more than a couple thousand voters, how will you reach those voters with a significant message? Candidates for offices such as State Assembly, City Council, and Board of Supervisors, typically spend countless hours raising money from friends, colleagues, and a wide variety of groups or individuals that might agree with them on key issues.
In some states, such as Maine, public funds are available for candidates to use in order to get their messages out. In Maine candidates must collect a certain number of small contributions first, in order to qualify for public financing from the state.
California voters have rejected the idea of public financing in the past. Most recently, in the June 2010 primary, voters rejected Proposition 15, which would have established a system of public financing available for candidates for the office of Secretary of State.
I would argue that political campaigns are a public concern. If we only hear from certain candidates, because they happen to have money, then it is not just the candidates that suffer. We all suffer from the loss of democracy.
We should also encourage alternatives to the standard campaign. Some candidates are using social media, such as Facebook. (The author is on FB nearly every day.) Some are writing blogs where they can express their ideas and respond to questions from voters. Despite the growth of social media, very few candidates have won major races without using the older and more expensive forms of communication such as direct mail, radio, and TV.
Whatever the means we have for candidates and voters to communicate, I would argue we will never have a strong democracy as long as voters are acting as isolated individuals. People need to be discussing the major problems in this state, and that conversation can happen in a wide variety of settings. I see the great potential for conversations developing online as well as in the more traditional community gatherings.
H. Interest Groups: Political Action and Lobbying
Most people belong to at least one interest group. It could be the California Teachers Association, the Board of Realtors, the Sierra Club, or the Associated Students of Grossmont College.
Organizations that have money tend to use the money to finance the campaigns of candidates they agree with. Some of these groups are powerful organizations that have a financial stake in the outcome of legislative decisions. For example, the trial lawyers tend to be pitted against the insurance companies.
Other groups are powerful because of their members. The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is powerful because legislators think of them as representing thousands of ordinary parents in their districts.
Still other groups attempt to be influential because of the quality of their messages. Some organizations invest in research or policy forums to develop ideas for education policy, affordable housing, prison reform, and a wide range of other topics. These groups can often be effective with the support of a core of legislators who care about their issues.
Interest groups are a key part of the political process. In general, these groups serve a useful function because they bring important issues to light. In the current system we have a wide variety of groups, and I would encourage people to get involved in organizations that express their views.
I. Political Philosophies
California is an incredibly diverse state, and you will find many different points of view represented. Most people who participate in politics follow one or more political philosophies or ideologies. Some examples of political philosophies include liberal, progressive, conservative, libertarian, and environmentalist.
Liberals and progressives believe in a strong role for government in improving society. Liberals have historically emphasized protecting civil rights and promoting equality. Progressives have tended to emphasize government regulation and planning to protect citizens and promote more livable communities. In today’s California the two philosophies tend to be combined. Liberals and progressives tend to strongly support public education and government programs to promote health care and help low income people.
In modern California politics, liberals and progressives tend to be allied with the labor movement. Liberals and progressives tend to support legislation to protect workers, such as the eight-hour day. They also tend to support large government programs—such as schools, colleges, and transportation projects--that employ labor union members.
Conservatives believe in a limited role for government. There are basically two kinds of conservative common in today’s California: fiscal conservatives and social conservatives. Fiscal conservatives want to keep taxes low, minimize government regulations, and limit government spending.
Fiscal conservatives tend to be allied with the business community on a wide range of issues related to limiting government regulation and limiting taxes. However, some elements of the business community have allied with liberals and organized labor to support government programs such as transportation projects and affordable housing.
Social conservatives want the government to promote certain behaviors they see as moral. Social conservatives tend to oppose abortion and same-gender marriages. Often social conservatives belong to religious organizations with a conservative social agenda.
In California a large number of voters combine liberal and conservative ideas. Suburban middle class voters will often say they are “liberal on social issues and conservative on fiscal issues.” On the hand, older Latino and African American voters often hold “liberal” views such as support for expanding health care programs and “conservative” views such as opposition to same-gender marriages.
Libertarians believe that government should be as small as possible and should stay out of people’s lives. Libertarians believe people should be able to use marijuana, carry guns, ride a motor cycle without a helmet, and engage in prostitution without the government forbidding or regulating these behaviors. Libertarians believe in low taxes and some even oppose taxes entirely. Some libertarians oppose public education, believing education is not something the government should be involved in. Most libertarians do not oppose public education but do oppose government programs for social welfare and health care.
Environmentalists support a strong role for government in protecting our quality of life. Environmentalists tend to have a lot in common with progressives, because both of these philosophies emphasize government regulation and planning for the long term. Historically, environmentalists have been involved in fighting pollution and protecting natural habitats. In recent times the movement has taken on a wide range of issues such as water conservation, renewable energy and urban planning.
Conclusion
I hope you find this overview helpful. Please let me know if you have more questions, or if you think of important points that should be added.
I am passionate about state government because I have seen it work. I served two terms on the City Council in Lemon Grove (2008-2016) I previously served on the Lemon Grove School Board (1998-2008). In 2013 I served in the district office of State Assemblymember Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. I also worked for a State Senator from 2002-2005, and I even ran for the State Assembly in 2006.
I do not believe you have to run for office or work in government to have a strong impact. I have seen many people become effective on issues that they care about by participating in organizations, writing letters, visiting their legislators, or testifying at public meetings. Effective citizens have an impact because they study the issues, they make themselves heard, and they vote.
Politics is an essential part of life in a complex society. In California we depend on politics just as surely as we depend on roads, schools, reservoirs, and hospitals. As long as you live in California, I can guarantee that our state government will have a profound impact on your life. I hope it is positive. How you choose to impact the state government is up to you.
Recommended Resources:
The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) publishes reports on a wide range of policy issues. They are a private organization, known for objective research and clear, readable reports. They also study public opinion as it relates to policy issues.
The Legislative Analyst Office is highly regarded for its practical and nonpartisan analysis of major issues facing the state. Political leaders and activists use their research and recommendations on the budget, economic issues, as well as occasional reports on specific policy issues.
The California Budget Project offers nonpartisan analysis on the state budget. It shows how the budget affects areas such as education, health care, prisons and transportation. Most people would say it has a liberal point of view.
The California Tax Reform Association publishes proposals on tax policy from a liberal point of view. They argue that we could raise certain taxes without hurting ordinary people, and thus bring more money into the state to support programs like education.
The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is famous for fighting to limit taxes. They promote a fiscally conservative point of view. They also argue that unions are much too powerful in state government. They are named after the lead author of Proposition 13 (1978), a meaure that greatly reduced property taxes.
http://www.calchamber.com/Pages/Default.aspx
The California Chamber of Commerce advocates for policy from a pro-business point of view. They are generally fiscally conservative and tend to oppose government regulations on business.
https://www.sierraclub.org/california
Sierra Club California is considered the leading environmental group in the state.
The League of Conservation Voters of California is also an important environmental organization.
League of Women Voters of California. This group promotes political participation for both women and men. They do not endorse candidates but they do often take positions on propositions. Recently they have been promoting proposals on many issues such as campaign finance reform and the state budget process.
SmartVoter is a project of the League of Women Voters of California. This site contains information about candidates and propositions on your ballot. Keep in mind, the information is provided by the candidates or by the advocates or opponents of various propositions.
This is the official website of the State of California. You will find it is updated frequently and provides a wide range of information on the state and its many bureaucracies.
The website of the California Secretary of State is especially useful for information on elections, campaign financing and lobbying. This website can lead you to information on the various propositions on the state ballot. The Secretary of State also handles the State Archives, an incredible source of information about our state’s history.
The official site of the State Senate, this is widely regarded to be the best site available for tracking proposed legislation in both the State Senate and the Assembly.
