California Politics Final Exam

What was decided in Buckley v. Valeo (what year)?

(1976). Campaign spending is free speech. There can be reasonable contribution limits but no required spending limits.

Discuss possible reforms for the initiative.

-Put limitations on the number of words. Long initiatives are too complicated for people to understand. -Require hearings during the period of qualification. -Ability to amend, either during circulation or after it has passed. -Cooling off period. Give the legislature 6 months to respond after the measure has qualified for the ballot (maybe come up with better version of legislation) -Require a legislative vote on all matters that qualify/get passed.

How many judges serve on the Supreme Court? How do they get there? How long do they serve? What type of court is it?

1 chief justice, 6 associate justices. Appointed by governor. 12-year terms-must run in elections after first term expires. Appellate of discretionary review--hears cases that present novel issues of great public significance, or conflicts between decisions of courts of appeal.

Why is the initiative used?

1) Bypass the legislature (Republicans do this a lot since statewide electorate is more conservative) 2) Prevent reversal by future legislators 3) Repeal or amend prior voter-approved initiatives 4) Override state supreme court 5) Pursue symbolic politics 6) Deplete opposition resources 7) Defeat other initiatives 8) Self-promote

Explain the steps of the initiative.

1) Drafting--proponent drafts tax of a proposed law, submits to attorney general who prepares title and summary and estimates fiscal effects. 2) Qualification--150 days to circulate and collect required number of signatures (changing statute requires 5% and constitutional amendments 8%). Signatures must be certified by the secretary of state. 3) Election--if it qualifies for the ballot, the secretary of state assigns it a proposition number and puts it on the ballot. 4) Post-election--once adopted, all initiatives are protected against future legislative amendment or repeal unless initiative specifically allows legislative changes.

What are two key ways in which Prop 13 has affected education?

1) Dramatically reduced amount of revenue school districts and community colleges were able to collect from local residents and shifted responsibility for basic funding education to the legislature. 2) By imposing strict limits on the amount of local revenue that K-12 schools and community colleges could collect, Prop 13 placed basic funding education in direct competition with higher education and other public obligations for revenue from the state's General Fund.

What are the redistricting criteria?

1) Equal population--rationale for redrawing. One person one vote. 2) Voting Rights Act--do not weaken minorities. 2) Contiguity--districts have to be connected. 3) Communities of Interest--do not draw boundaries-protect geographic integrity of cities, counties, neighborhoods, and other broadly defined communities. 4) Geographically Compact--avoid sprawling and irregular shapes. 5) "Nesting"--incorporate two complete assembly districts within one senate district. The criterion specifically excluded from Prop 11 was increasing political competition, but the promise of competition was a central argument made by the measure's proponents and other political reformers. Did see competition increase (modestly).

Name the eight executive offices in California (besides the governor) and explain what they do.

1) Lieutenant Governor: executive-in-waiting with few formal responsibilities, technically president of state senate, but really has very little power. 2) Attorney General: head of the Department of Justice and considered second-most powerful member of executive branch. 3) Secretary of State: acts as records keeper and election supervisor. Certifies number and validity of signatures obtained for initiatives, referenda, and recall petitions, produces sample ballots and ballot arguments for voters, publishes election results, and keeps candidate campaign finance records. 4) Superintendent of Public Instruction: head of the Department of Education. Only executive elected official chosen by nonpartisan ballot. Advocate for California's public education system. 5) Controller: supervises all state and local tax collection and writes checks for the state. 6) Treasurer: invests state funds raised through taxes and other means until they are needed for expenditures, borrows money for the state by issuing bonds (approved by voters). 7) Board of Equalization: oversees collection of excise taxes on sales, gasoline, and liquor, reviews county property assessment practices. 5 members elected from districts of equal population (1 of which is the controller). 8) Insurance commissioner: oversees and directs all functions of the Department of Insurance. Licenses, regulates, and examines insurance companies.

Describe the "Five California's."

1) Silicon Valley Shangri-La--unmatched freedom to pursue goals, information technology. 2) Metro-Coastal Enclave California--extremely high levels of wellbeing and access to opportunity. 3) Main Street California--have an increasingly tenuous grip on middle-class life. 4) Struggling California--works hard but finds it nearly impossible to gain foothold on security. 5) The Forsaken Five Percent--extremely constrained range of opportunities and choices.

What are the governor's formal powers?

1) Submits annual budget--must recommend a balanced budget to state legislature within ten days of each calendar year. Outlines sources of revenues and recipients of state funds. This is nearly a year-long task. Must be agreed upon and signed by end of fiscal year on June 30. 2) Vetoes--has 12 days to act after legislature passes a bill, but if bills enacted at session's end, has 30 days. Only a veto can keep a bill from becoming law. 3) Special session--if governor believes legislature has not addressed an important issue, he or she can take dramatic step of calling a special session and during this session legislators can only discuss the specific business proposed by the governor. 4) Executive order--governor can make policy by signing this, but has to be careful to to abuse and be accused of overstepping legislative territory. 5) Appointment powers--governor fills about 2,500 key positions in the executive departments and cabinet agencies. These appointees direct the state bureaucracy. State senate must approve most of governor's appointees.

Discuss criticisms of the initiative.

1) Too many 2) Poor quality--initiative process is an inferior method of drafting legislation. There is overlap and contradiction between initiatives. 3) Voters--lack of knowledge and context-ill-informed and ill-equipped to vote on complex measures. 4) Money--controlled by monied interests because costs of qualification are so high 5) Minority rights--allows majorities to threaten minority rights. 6) Representative government--undermines them by bypassing legislature on important policy issues, forcing them to readjust budget and hindering them from responding to changing needs properly.

How does a bill really become law? (12 ways to game the Capitol)

1) Win on the merits--just good public policy. 2) Win procedurally--outdo your opposition. 3) Win through grassroots activation--local activists have become more important with advent of term limits. 4) Win by mobilizing public opinion through "paid media"--rarer (very expensive). 5) Win by mobilizing public opinion through influencing the news media--this is more common. 6) Win with a silver bullet--a lobbyist or public relations adviser finds a single measure in a bill that would never pass and makes it public knowledge. 7) Win by burying the issue in the state budget 8) Win at the ballot box--initiatives. 9) Win by negotiations--interest groups battling. 10) Win by moving the issue into the courts--buys time. 11) Win by post legislative administrative action--bureaucracy implements laws, not legislature-follow directives of governor. 12) Win the old-fashioned way by buying it--not quid pro quo corruption but influence of campaign money. This is what Professor Lempert calls "insidious corruption."

How is education funded?

10% from the federal government, 50% from state funds (VERY dependent upon), a very small amount from property taxes, and some from school foundations, parcel taxes of wealthy individuals, lotteries

About how much of budget is spent on higher education?

10%.

What did Proposition 140 do? (term limits) What were its effects?

1990. Limited elected executive branch officers and state senators to two four-year terms and assembly members to three two-year terms (for a total of 14 years max). Since 1990, perhaps due to Prop 14, there have been more minorities and women elected (except blacks). But Prop 140 was not fully responsible for increase in women's representation--societal and political trends were underway in 1990s. Increase in minorities was also largely due to demographic changes--higher immigration. Limits have not halted political careerism--there was an increase in number of local officeholders who ran for legislative seats in post-term limits period.

Proposition 208? (campaign finance)

1996--strict contribution and spending limits. Found unconstitutional.

Proposition 34? (campaign finance)

2000--a legislative initiative setting contribution limits for individuals and committees. Did go through, unlike 208. Allows candidates to abide by voluntary spending limits, who are included in official ballot booklets if so (moral high ground). Has not proven effective...IEs.

What did Proposition 11 do? When was it passed?

2008--Governor Schwarzenegger, Common Cause, and League of Women Voters. Ballot proposal placed redistricting in the hands of a fourteen-member independent commission composed of five Democrats, five Republicans, and four members not affiliated with either major party. Called the Citizens Redistricting Commission. Meant to take control away from legislature and list specific criteria for drafting new lines. These criteria represented backlash against 2001 redistricting plan where Democrats and Republicans did a bipartisan gerrymander, making representatives' seats safe to prevent partisan turnover.

What did Proposition 93 do? (term limits)

2008--If Proposition 93 had passed, members of the California State Legislature would have been allowed to remain in their current office up to 12 years, giving them a clean slate. That period was longer than under existing state term limits laws for one legislative house, but two years shorter than the total lawfully allowable time in the Legislature (14 years between both houses as established by 140). California lawmakers at the time could serve up to 3 terms in the California State Assembly and up to two terms in the California State Senate for a total of 14 years. Proposition 93 sought to allow them to spend only 12 years total in office, but all in one chamber had they so chosen. This initiative was DIFFERENT from Prop 28 in that it would have given legislators already in office a clean slate and 12 more years to run for office, whereas 28 said sitting legislators were still bound by Prop 140--the 14 year limit split between both chambers.

Proposition 15? (campaign finance)

2010--Defeated. Would have raised fees on registered lobbyists in California and used the additional revenue to provide funding for political campaigns for qualified candidates running for the Office of the California Secretary of State. Proposition 15 would have approved the establishment of a pilot project that would have only applied to political campaigns for the Office of Secretary of State in 2014 and 2018. In those election seasons, under Proposition 15, candidates for California Secretary of State would qualify for political campaign funds if they agree to spending prohibitions and if they are able to raise $5 contributions from at least 7,500 registered voters. Proposition 15 also would have repealed California's voter-approved ban on the public financing of campaigns.

What did Proposition 25 do (concerning the budget)?

2010. Reduced the required budget vote to a simple majority. This allowed Democrats to pass controversial policies such as tax increases without Republican obstruction in 2012 when they won supermajorities in both houses. But, spending increases still require two-thirds majority vote.

What did Proposition 28 do? (term limits)

2012. Went into effect in 2014. Legislators can now serve all of their time in one house or the other, but with a limit of twelve years instead of fourteen. Proponents of this change believe the ability to stay in one house for a longer time will allow legislators to develop more expertise. Remains to be seen whether it is successful--prediction is that lobbyists will focus less on financial power and more so on relationship building.

How many judges serve on the superior courts? How do they get there? How long do they serve? What types of courts are they?

451 court locations spreading throughout the state's 58 counties, number of justices varies. Elected into 6-year terms. Trial--make factual findings, apply those facts to the law, and make decisions.

How many counties are in California?

58.

How many judges serve on the Courts of Appeal? How do they get there? How long do they serve? What type of courts are they?

6 districts, 3 judge panels. Appointed by governor. 12-year terms-must also run in elections after first term expires. Appellate of non-discretionary review--must hear cases where parties have right to demand review of the trial court decisions.

Define budget. How does the budgetary process work?

A budget is a plan that specifies how monies will be obtained (revenues) and how they will be spent (expenditures). Because it reflects the state's priorities, it is a very political document. Preparing the budget is the governor's most important formal power. Frames it before it goes to legislature and has additional say afterward through use of the item veto. Once it goes to the legislature, the legislative analyst's office scrutinizes each part, identifying needs, costs, and other important issues. Analyst's findings usually clash with the governor's, providing the legislature an independent source of data and evaluation. The appropriations committees and the budget committees each shepherd the budget proposal through the legislative process. Lobbyists, individual citizens, government officials, and other legislators testify on the proposed budget before committees and subcommittees. Committees conclude hearings by mid-April, combine their portions into a single document, and bring the budget bill to their respective full house for a vote. A select group of leaders enter into informal negotiations over the document, the Big Five.

What did Serrano v. Priest decide (what year)?

A case in 1973 that decided that California's reliance on local property taxes to fund schools was unconstitutional. In 1972, voters in most of the school districts could see a connection between what they paid in property taxes and the quality of their local public schools. The decision in Serrano broke the connection between local property taxes and local school spending. Local taxes were reallocated by the legislature to finance education throughout the state. This angered voters whose money was now helping school districts outside of their own.

How do charter schools work?

A charter school is an independently run public school granted greater flexibility in its operations, in return for greater accountability for performance. The "charter" establishing each school is a performance contract detailing the school's mission, program, students served, performance goals, and methods of assessment. Charter schools are public schools of choice, meaning that families choose them for their children. They operate with freedom from some of the regulations that are imposed upon district schools. Charter schools are accountable for academic results and for upholding the promises made in their charters. They must demonstrate performance in the areas of academic achievement, financial management, and organizational stability. If a charter school does not meet performance goals, it may be closed.

How can education be reformed?

Accountability and transparency: • Adequate Yearly Progress (No Child Left Behind) → required subgroups to be analyzed to see if every single child was succeeding • Academic Performance Index → measures improvement more relatively • School Accountability Report Card • There is no accountability system in CA! Governance and choice Support services

What is the referendum?

Allows voters to nullify acts of state government. Referendum advocates have 90 days after the legislature makes a law to collect a number of signatures equal to 5 percent of the votes cast for governor in the previous election. Very rare due to the short time period--even rarer than recalls.

What does the Committee on Judicial Appointments and Committee on Judicial Performance do?

Appointments approve gubernatorial nominees. Performance can remove judges for incompetence or misconduct.

Kevin Mullin

Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore. Hails from AD-22, South San Francisco, hub of biotechnology. Thriving economy but very unaffordable housing. Discussed how politics is a relationship business. Said longer tenure is good because it allows elected officials to become competent at their jobs. Thinks that because California seems like it is on a track toward civility, the rest of the nation can follow suit. One of our biggest problems is income inequality. Need to invest more in early childhood education. Too volatile of a tax structure. Too dependent on high income earners. Thinks governor should be focusing on fixing these structural problems instead of pushing so hard for high-speed rail.

How is California's education system governed?

Authority is shared among multiple actors, including the governor, who appoints members of the State Board of Education, the legislature, the Superintendent of Public Instruction. It is very difficult to hold anyone accountable for results.

What was decided in Baker v. Carr (what year) and in Reynolds v. Sims (what year)?

Baker, 1962--SCOTUS required states to have courts play a role in redrawing legislative and congressional boundaries after the completion of every federal census to ensure equal population across districts. Reynolds, 1964--one person=one vote. So counties with only 1,000 people have the same amount of legislative representation as counties with 1,000,000.

What has happened to voter registration?

California used to be a pretty Republican state (Ronald Reagan, Pete Wilson, etc.) but is now solidly Democratic. CA GOP has changed, become more ideologically conservative. Most Californians are liberal. But state might not be as blue as people think, California voters may not themselves have changed--the candidates have. Is California a purple state? California is more center-left ideologically. There has been a sharp increase in the number of Independent voters. Most of our neighborhoods are not as politically polarized as standard red and blue maps lead us to believe. So maybe it is not that we have become more polarized but that we have been sorted into the parties by polarized candidates. California Republican Party must offer new candidates to win. But initiative process has shown that electorate retains persistent, although diminishing, conservative streak on some issues. The electorate has for decades been older, whiter, wealthier, and more suburban and conservative, so Republicans have had greater luck appealing to statewide voters than at the district level. That's why Republicans used direct democracy for a while to circumvent legislature and adopt conservative policies. Many Democrats have sought to restrain initiative process.

How has spending for public schools changed?

California used to be one of the top-funded states in the 1950s and 1960s. But then per capita support began decreasing--now rank 46th. Must spend at least 40% of budget on schools.

Rosalinda Rosalez

Chief of Juvenile Operations at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Explained how the different branches of government make decisions affecting the prison system. The legislature makes laws pertaining to sentencing length (indeterminate versus determinate, triads). The judiciary interprets laws and protects the rights of inmates. The executive enforces laws (she works within this branch) and ensure they put people in prisons and take care of them properly. All of these branches must ensure prisons do not get overcrowded. When she first came to work for the CRCR the SCOTUS said that California's prisons were overcrowded and this was cruel and unusual punishment. They needed to get down to 137% capacity. There were tons of public health issues. The Receiver has the full might of the US Constitution to take money out of the California Treasury and use it to provide inmates constitutionally adequate health care. Can cost a lot. Only after Proposition 47 came onto the ballot and was adopted last November did capacity begin going down. They finally reached 137%. But every day bills are introduced to overturn it. She said that what happens in prisons has implications for democracy in the US and that we cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach to corrections.

What does the Fair Political Practices Commission do?

Created by Political Reform Act of 1974. Independent regulatory body monitoring activities of candidates and lobbyists. Fines violators--not good PR.

What does the state supreme court automatically review?

Death penalty cases.

What happened in the 2001 gerrymander?

Democrats controlled both the state legislature and the governor's office but agreed to a bipartisan gerrymander that protected incumbents from both parties with safe districts to minimize partisan turnover. There was much backlash over the deal being behind closed doors. Voters did not think it was fair, making races uncompetitive. Fueled Prop 11 in 2008.

What are the components of campaign finance reform?

Disclosure, contribution limits, spending limits, public finance

What is partisan polarization? What is its relationship to divided government?

Divided government occurs when one party controls the executive and one party the legislative branch. The percentage of gubernatorial proposals enacted into law increases when the same party controls each. Gridlock ensues when partisan control is split. Have seen an increase in polarization, with California's legislature now the most polarized in the nation. This is due to both extreme candidates running for office and self-sorting among the electorates (liberals supporting Democrats and conservatives Republicans).

What is gerrymandering? Differentiate between partisan and bipartisan.

Drawing district lines oddly for racial or political purposes. Partisan: the party in power draws district lines so it has an electoral advantage over the minor party. Bipartisan: each of the parties mutually agree to preserve or increase the safety of their representatives' seats by creating safe district--that way you see Republicans constantly elected in one district, Democrats in another.

What have been the impacts of term limits on elections, the legislature, and the balance of power between all the branches of government?

Elections--more diversity (see earlier notes). Legislature--Prop 140 gave them very little time to prepare for and hold key legislative positions, could not learn how to do their jobs--short time horizons. There was significant leadership turnover in both houses. Committee system broke down. Less gatekeeping (killing bills) because they didn't feel like they had enough expertise. Screening less legislation. Don't challenge leadership, so there are more party-line votes. Prop 28 has changed this! Balance of power-- Executive has become more powerful. Less changes made to budget. Lobbyists have lost power because they have not been able to take time to develop relationships with legislators who are in office for a long time. Advocacy groups have gained power.

What is the recall?

Empowers voters to remove officeholders at all levels of government between scheduled elections. A recall petition for a judge or legislator requires signatures equaling 20 percent of the vote in the last state election, while for state executive officeholders, the figure is 12 percent. Petitioners have 160 days to collect the signatures. Governor Gray Davis is the only statewide official who has been recalled (2003) due to his response during the energy crisis in 2001, a recession, a huge budget deficit, and inability of legislature and him to agree upon solutions to these issues.

What are the principles of funding distribution?

Equal—the same amount of funding for each student Equitable—differentiated funding based on student need (California has very equitable funding compared to other states in nation) Adequate—funding based on state expectations

Explain how counties and cities differ.

Every Californian lives in a county but not every Californian lives in a city. Counties are creations and political subdivisions of the State. County governments exist to carry out services originating from the state and/or residents within that county. Cities are created by voters through process of incorporation.

What have been the effects of Proposition 11? What did Proposition 20 do?

Funded primarily by Republican interests who were frustrated by Democratic control of legislature. Prop 20 extended the commission's authority to congressional lines as well. Results showed that Prop 11 represented a modest improvement over the 2001 legislative redistricting on nearly all criteria voters said were important when they passed Prop 11. There was a modest increases in the number of competitive elections. But Democrats did better than Republicans, ironically. But other social and political factors like self-sorting and segregation of the electorate greatly limit the extent to which the redistricting process, no matter how fair and nonpartisan, can change the maps that are produced. There were winners and losers.

What is the difference between a general and a line-item veto?

General rejects a bill in its entirety. Line item veto allows governor to reduce or eliminate expenditures (cannot add money)--budget/spending bills. Each can only be overturned by two-thirds majority in both houses, which rarely occurs.

How is the judiciary political?

Governors appoint judges to courts and court decisions can overturn popular initiatives. Their judgements are choices between public policy alternatives. Their rulings help some people but hurt others. Judges regularly interface with voters--do not serve for life. Appointed judges must run for office when their terms expire (system is a combination of appointment and merits--retention elections), but running as incumbents, usually unopposed, they almost always win. No term limits.

Hard versus soft money

Hard money is regulated by the Federal Election Commission but soft money is not regulated by election laws. So companies, unions and individuals may give donations in any amount to a political party for "party building" activities. Party building may include ads that educate voters about issues, as long as the ads don't take the crucial step of telling voters which candidates to vote for. Both CA Reps and Dems accept hard/soft money, PACs set up by interest groups, etc.

Overall, how have redistricting and term limits affected California's legislature?

Has attracted better-educated and more professional individuals and made election to office more feasible for women and minorities. But still, lot of legislators are young and inexperienced.

How has Proposition 13 affected the budget?

Has made us increasingly reliant upon personal income and sales tax which is a very volatile tax structure (booms and busts of business cycle), so funding education, the biggest portion of state expenditures, has become increasingly difficult--lots of budget deficits.

Alex Evans

He is the President and Founding Partner of EMC Research, a polling company. They design surveys for clients to tell them how to get where they need to be. Because research and fundraising are not on the "Do Not Call" list, he can do his job. The four components for designing a survey are: 1) Sample/Universe, 2) Question Design, 3) Data Collection, and 4) Analysis.

David Crane

He was the Economic Advisor to Governor Schwarzenegger. He pointed out that there was not enough money being set aside for pensions and that they were underreporting liabilities, which angered many people who wanted him ousted. The single biggest expenditure in California is health care, with Medicaid up 75% since 2008 because the federal government has not funded the state as promised. He supports public finance of campaigns but does not think it would work because the majority of people do not. His organization, Govern for California, aims to elect qualified candidates to office who possess these qualities: intelligence, temperament, financial literacy, capability to compromise, and courage.

What is Proposition 30?

In 2012, voters approved this initiative which temporarily increased sales and income taxes for individuals with annual incomes over $250,000 to offset declining state revenues. Set to expire in 2016. Will affect public education funding.

How has the legislature evolved?

In the 1960s, California was among the first states to convert its legislature into a full-time, professional body. Was one of the first states to try term limits and has some of the strictest in the nation. Ideas was to shift from career politicians to citizen legislators. Have not really seen this happen. But it has become more diverse, there are more women. But legislators and younger and inexperienced today too. Very, very polarized.

If new resources are needed, where do we get them?

Increase the amount of funding education receives out of the current state budget (reallocate existing resources) Allow local schools districts to raise their own resources (i.e. local parcel tax) Identify new statewide revenue options (raise taxes)

How has funding for prisons and corrections changed?

Increased. Initiatives have established mandatory prison terms for various crimes and extended terms for many others, increasing costs of incarceration. Three-strikes law passed in 1994 made prison populations swell, leading to overcrowding.

What is IRV?

Instant run-off voting. Another recommendation by Matthews & Paul. There would be one statewide election, instead of primary and then general. All candidates for statewide elected office would appear on one ballot and voters would rank them in order of choice. This would provide centrist candidates access to ballot (in primaries candidates have to be more extreme to appeal to base). Would also reduce the cost of campaigning (just one election).

PACs

Interest groups use political action committees to direct money to their preferred campaigns.

How have immigrants affected California's racial diversity and politics?

It has contributed to higher diversity in many areas but there are other ares where immigrants are moving that are getting more segregated. As Asians keep moving in and whites moving out, counties are becoming less diverse and more segregated. Immigration has made California more diverse and contributed to its prosperity but has also engendered economic competition and ethnic tensions. Immigrants are younger and so depend on state for schooling for children, as well as health care. Latinos are the largest immigrant group but Asians have recently surpassed them in their rate of population growth. Latinos are a huge voter base for Democrats.

What is an undercount?

It is very hard to get an exact count of how many people are in the US, especially in CA where there are several homeless and undocumented citizens. People have estimated that CA's population is underestimated by as much as 2%. We can lose a LOT of money if we are undercounting.

How is California a "patchwork state"?

Its political geography is a product of self-sorting and systematic sorting decisions. There are ethnic concentrations that are the geographic expression of many individual residential decisions. This is the self-sorting component. People want to live with like-minded individuals. Then district lines are imposed on this demographic landscape through redistricting. So districts are very racially and socioeconomically homogeneous. Thus it is hard to tell whether redistricting is creating more diverse maps because California is already so voluntarily divided.

What have been some of the consequences of inadequate funding?

K-12: not enough adults working in California schools, large class sizes. Higher education: increased tuition and fees, reduced enrollment. UC now one of the most expensive public education systems in the country. Facing shortfall of graduates with postsecondary degrees.

What is the biggest tension between counties and cities?

LAND

What services do counties provide?

Land use and planning (most important), building permits, approval of development plans, law enforcement, collect property taxes and distribute to agencies, provide direct health care services, administer health and human services programs on behalf of state, public workers, fire and emergency response, solid waste management, environmental health (restaurant letter grading), animal control, issuing marriage, license, birth/death certificates.

How are minorities represented in politics? What about women?

Latinos have gained the most representation from term limits and redistricting reforms, but black representation in the legislature has shrunk, while Asian Americans remain the most underrepresented of California's minorities. Women have been more successful but that is largely due to demographic changes over time.

What are legislative initiatives, constitutional amendments, and bonds?

Legislative initiatives are placed on the ballot by the state legislature when they want the voters to confirm a proposed law. Constitutional amendments require voter approval. Bonds (borrowing money) also require voter approval, i.e. the "Rainy Day Fund."

What does this mean for politics?

Many media markets (meaning campaigns are expensive), small legislature representing a very big state (meaning legislators are vulnerable to powerful interest groups). Inland more conservative and coast more liberal. More electoral safety since we choose to live with like-minded people and in socially homogenous areas.

How are cities governed?

Mayor, City Council, City Manager, Police and Fire Department

How does money affect campaigns?

Momentum, name recognition, result

What have been the unintended consequences of Prop 34?

Money is given to political parties to spend on behalf of candidates rather than to candidates themselves. Lots of $ going toward IEs. Most people think Prop 34 has been ineffective and there is just more money in politics.

How is California's executive branch different from the United States'?

Much more cluttered. Many competing sources of power. There are EIGHT different elected executive positions. Schisms between officeholders contribute to state's jurisdictional fragmentation. Not a unified body at all.

What about higher education?

Multiple governing bodies presiding over CCCs, UCs, and CSUs.

What are the three components of population growth? What has changed since the 1960s?

Natural increase (number of deaths-number of births), domestic migration, immigration. Until the 1960s, most of the growth in California occurred through domestic migration, but when there were huge waves of immigrants. So whereas in 1960 only 8.5% of Californians were foreign-born, now, 27% are. People are leaving the state more often nowadays due to the high cost of living.

Independent expenditures

New spending limits set by Prop 34 have been subverted by IEs by PACs or groups especially organized by political consultants in support of candidates. Only restriction is that they cannot be coordinated with the campaigns of candidates they support--no limits on amount of $ they can raise.

Why has there been a proliferation of ballot propositions?

Not a surge in citizen action, but the opportunism of special interests, individual politicians, and public relations firms. This has annoyed voters and policymakers alike.

What are interest groups? Give examples.

Organizations formed to protect and promote the shared political objectives of their members. Range from labor unions, ethnic organizations, business associations, student unions, to environmental entities. They all seek to influence the actions of public policymakers. Often referred to as "special interests" due to the special attention they receive from public officials. Have become really powerful due to weak political parties--leave candidates dependent on groups for campaign contributions, while direct democracy often enables groups to take their issues directly to the voters, circumventing elected officials. Also very powerful because districts in California are so big but the legislature is so small.

What is the bureaucracy?

Over 340,000 state workers back up the executive branch, implement their programs, and deal with citizens on a daily basis. Majority hired through civil service system on basis of examination results, performance, and job qualifications. Must carry out programs established by policymaking institutions: executive, legislature, judiciary, other regulatory agencies. But can influence policy directly by exercising discretion built into laws defining bureaucratic tasks.

What are the largest sources of state revenues? Who are property taxes levied by?

Personal income tax, sales tax, bank and corporation taxes. Most (more than 60%) comes from personal income tax--very reliant upon. Unstable source of revenue. Local governments--but property tax's use was reduced significantly after Prop 13. This tax is collected by counties rather than the state, but the state allocates it among the different levels of local government so it is still a part of the tax burden of all Californians (Serrano v. Priest)

What are the different sources of campaign money?

Personal, friends, family, colleagues, political activists, interest groups and PACs, bundling, transfers, state party

What did Proposition 9 do? (campaign finance)

Political Reform Act of 1974. Free spending by interest groups and allegations of corruption led to this initiative sponsored by Common Cause in 1974--overwhelmingly approved by voters. Required the public disclosure of all donors and expenditures through the Fair Political Practices Commission. Also compels lobbyists to register with the SOS, report on their campaign-related activities, and reveal beneficiaries of their donations. Established Fair Political Practices Commission.

What about the informal powers?

Popularity is not written into constitution but is very powerful. When the governor is in good stead with other legislators and/or the public, he or she is often able to overcome political opponents.

What is the only formal qualification to be a judge?

Practiced law in California for 10 years.

What are the different types of initiatives?

Professional: This is largely how it works today. Political consultants work with interest groups to put their ideas on the ballot. Takes at least $1-$2 million to get qualified using paid signature gatherers. Candidate: Candidates put an initiative on the ballot concurrently to improve their own chances at the polls. Future candidate: Person puts initiative on the ballot to enhance their profile for a future election. Gubernatorial: Governor seeks to bypass the legislature and go directly to the people. There are also initiatives passed to pressure the legislature to take action on issues.

Define cross-filing.

Progressive reform that permitted candidates of one party to seek the nomination of rival parties. Eliminated in 1959. Seen to be the reason partisan polarization in the legislature decreased between 1914 and the 1950s.

What are the primary county budget inputs?

Property tax (assessor), fees (i.e. business licenses), sales tax (not much), some cities have city taxes as well.

How could redistricting be reformed?

Proportional representation, independent commission (what we have now).

Who gets the largest share of the state budget?

Public schools in K-12

What is reapportionment? What is redistricting?

Reapportionment is how congressional seats are reallocated in the country. If a state's population increases, it get more seats in Congress, and if it decreases, it gets less. So there are winners and losers. Redistricting is redrawing district lines in a state every ten years after a census is taken to ensure the districts are equal in population. Common refrain is that redistricting is the method by which legislators choose their voters.

How would proportional representation work according to Matthews & Paul?

Right now we operate under single-member plurality districts, but we could switch to multimember districts using proportional representation. Instead of picking one representative from 80 assembly districts and 40 senate districts, California would elect 5 legislators in 16 assembly districts and 5 in 8 senate districts, using a voting system that would determine winners in proportion to the percentage of the vote they received. Majority control of the legislature would be on the line in every election and every vote in every part of the state would matter in determining the outcome. Would make it easier for third parties and ethnic minorities to win. Focus is on consensus building, agendas and not candidates.

How has campaign finance evolved in California?

See notes on Prop 9, 208, 34, and 15.

How does a bill technically become law?

See p.68 of Gerston. (Process applies to both chambers). Concerned citizen, group, or legislator suggests legislation. Senator/assembly member authors bill. Legislative counsel drafts it. The drafted bill is sent to desk of senator/assembly member. After it is numbered and read, it is sent to the rules committee, printed, and after thirty days, committee hearings are held. The committee recommends: do pass, do pass as amended, or amend and re-refer. It is then read a second and third time. After that, it is delivered to desk of other chamber, introduced and read for the first time, assigned to a committee, given hearings, then given its second and third readings. It gets voted on and sent back to the original chamber. A conference committee of 3 senators and 3 assembly members either concurs or refuses concurrences--then need a conference report. Sent to enrollment, then to governor. 12 days to sign it or veto it. Sent to secretary of state, if vetoed, two-thirds vote in both houses can override governor's veto, and it then becomes law.

Paul Smith

Senior Legislative Advocate for the Regional Council of Rural Counties. See notes on county/city government. Cities provide quality of life services whereas counties provide more basic functions. But because there is crossover, it is confusing and becomes problematic. Know the BOS, sheriff, and assessor. LAND-commercial, agricultural, or residential.

Nancy Skinner

She was appointed Chairwoman of the Budget Committee when she served in the Assembly. She decided to focus on early education, but Governor Brown had no interest. He has not been a proponent of either education or affordable housing. It has been especially difficult to fund education due to the politics surrounding corrections and rehabilitation. It costs a lot more to put a juvenile in prison than to educate a child. She is a proponent of high-speed rail though because all other major economies have it.

Who is most likely to vote in California?

Suburban homeowners and Republicans, who tend to be richer, better educated, and older. Lower levels of participation are usually found among poorer, less educated, and younger inner-city residents and Democrats, although this is beginning to change.

How is the California court system hierarchically structured?

Supreme Court, Courts of Appeal, Superior Courts.

What role do lobbyists play?

Term refers to activity that once went on in the foyers adjacent to legislative chambers. Lobbyists are so integral to the legislative process that they are commonly referred to as the "third house," alongside the assembly and senate. Lobbyists used to be crude, lavish, unregulated individuals, but are now experts on the legislative process. Artie Samish pioneered the "select and elect" process in the 1930s whereby lobbyists influenced the legislature by convincing interest groups to contribute funds to legislators who then enact policies in their interest--select the one you like, and let's get him/her elected. This has become the major tool of lobbyists today especially with term limits. They also write proposed legislation and assemble coalitions of legislators to pass it. Many have served as legislators themselves or staff for legislators. Legislators and lobbyists alike assert that contributions buy access, not votes, but the tie between money and access is very strong. They have become less powerful however due to term limits because they cannot develop as close of ties with legislators who have been in office for a while.

What was "realignment"?

The SCOTUS ordered California to reduce its prison population on grounds of overcrowding and health concerns violating the US constitution. Governor Brown responded by transferring lesser, nonviolent offenders from prisons to county jails. This reduced prison population as well as the cost of incarceration, since jails are cheaper to operate, but it also imposed new responsibilities and costs on local governments.

How do budget battles occur over the judicial branch?

The budget for the courts is set through the political process by the governor and the legislature, and like other state agencies, has suffered cuts in recent years, despite an increased workload and complaints from chief justice and other leaders of the judiciary.

Who are the Big Five and what do they do?

The governor, the speaker of the assembly, the president pro tem of the senate, and the minority party leaders of each house. They make the final budgetary decisions. If there are differences of opinion between the two houses, the bill goes to a two-house conference committee for reconciliation, after which both houses vote again.

What is line-item authority, and who has it?

The governor--ability to reduce/eliminate expenditures in spending bills/proposed budgets.

Who is the most powerful public official?

The governor. He shapes the budget, appoints key policymakers in the executive and judicial branches, and responds to/shapes public opinion by taking positions on controversial issues.

Who are the other county elected officials?

The sheriff, who is in charge of law enforcement and the first responder, and the assessor, who assesses real property. Others may include a tax collector, auditor, treasurer, clerk-recorder, and district attorney. There are different rules and structures for county trial courts and judges.

Why is the media important in California?

There are MANY media markets because California is so big. Media are important because of the mobility of Californian citizens. More than half of all citizens were born elsewhere, and many voters are often participating in elections for the first time. They move frequently, relying less so on friends, families, and colleagues for political influence and thereby boosting that of campaigns and media. Californians rely heavily on television for political information, so television advertising accounts for the majority of all spending for statewide races in California. In such a big state, it is the only way to reach the mass of voters. Because TV time is so expensive, many campaigns rely on direct mail, tailoring messages to voters--cheaper and more effective.

Explain how self-segregation has affected the racial and political geography of California. What is the "White Migration"?

There has been a migration of non-Hispanic whites from coastal to inland counties, so regional racial and socio-economic segregation has been driven primarily by the self-segregation of whites who have moved inland in search of higher standards of living at lower costs. So as the rest of the state has gotten more diverse, parts of the white population have sought to locate themselves in pockets of social and racial homogeneity.

How have governors changed from the 1990s until now?

There has been increasing use of the veto which may be due to partisan polarization (divided government) or to the fact that governors have learned there is very little chance they will be overridden by the legislature. Have become more powerful as term limits have been enacted in the legislature. Especially powerful on issues pertaining to the budget (frame it). Also have had to abide by term limits (two four-year terms).

Joe Matthews and Mark Paul

They are the authors of California Crackup. California cannot govern itself. But all the stories have been about blame. They wanted to tell a new one. Think we need to reform our system of governance because it simply does not work. But our legislature is the best and most educated in the nation. They are just constrained by ineffective institutions.

Why is water such a political issue in California?

This idea goes with the theme of California being scarce in resources, causing political conflict between different regions (especially the north and south--south has more political representation too so this creates a lot of problems). Most of California's cities and farms must import water from other parts of the state, and thanks to government subsidies, farmers claim 80 percent of the state's water supply at prices so low that they have little reason to improve inefficient irrigation systems. The growth of urban area is limited by water supplies. 3/4 of the state's water comes from north of Sacramento but 80% of it is consumed south of Sacramento--big issue.

What did Proposition 13 do, and how has it affected the state's budget?

This initiative amendment passed in 1978. Reduced local property taxes across the state by 57 percent. Property tax value was rolled back and frozen at the 1976 assessed value level. It capped local property tax rates, limited the annual increases of local property assessments to 2% as long as the property was not sold, required a two-thirds majority vote of the legislature to enact any state tax increase, and mandated a vote of the people to approve any increase in certain local taxes. The fact that it required a two-thirds vote for tax increases has made it really difficult for legislators to raise taxes to spend on schools and other public services. It remains the untouchable third rail of California politics. But it is still widely popular today. Has made state increasingly dependent upon personal income, sales, and capital gains taxes, which are very volatile due to booms and busts of business cycle, and thus schools are regularly exposed to shortfalls in funding--big issues for K-12 and higher education.

What does the Board of Supervisors do?

This is the primary body of governance in a county. Each Board is comprised of 5 members, elected from 5 separate districts. The supervisors serve 4-year terms and the seats are staggered. They serve as the executive and legislative branches. Their most important act is the formation and adoption of an annual budget. They control the money. They also hire and fire the chief executive, the County Administrative Officer. They have the power to fill vacancies of other county officers and there are frequently tensions with other officeholders, especially the sheriff.

What is the "top two" or "jungle" primary? What have been its effects?

This was adopted when voters approved Proposition 14 in 2010, but went into effect in 2012. No matter what their own party, voters may choose their preferred candidate from any party, and the top-two vote getters face off in the November election even if they are from the same party. Advocates of this system hoped that instead of concentrating their appeals on the core of their own parties (Democrats liberals and Republicans conservatives), candidates would reach out to independent and moderate voters and those who got elected would be more moderate and thus more willing to compromise in Sacramento. Whether this will happen remains to be seen--too soon to tell. The June 2012 election was the first statewide top-two primary. It does seem that elections became somewhat more competitive, with more incumbents being challenged and more races being close. But top-two primary also seems to have just increased number of endorsements from both parties, and elected officials produced by primaries are often just as ideologically extreme in open ones as closed. The parties hate it.

What is direct democracy?

Through the initiative, referendum, and recall, California voters gain the power to make law and even overrule elected officials or remove them between elections. The intent of this system was to empower citizens but in practice interest groups and politicians are more likely to use, and abuse, direct democracy.

Define vote-by-mail.

Today about half of voters sign up to vote by mail when they register to vote so that their ballots are automatically sent to them for every election. So now campaigns have to spread their resources over longer periods instead of making a big push during the last few days before an election.

What is the East-West divide?

Traditionally California was divided into its northern and southern regions (water politics) but is now separated into 38 inland counties and 20 coastal counties. The coastal region is more educated and has higher incomes. There has also been a partisan realignment among regional lines due to this demographic shift. Democrats now dominate in nearly every coastal county. The inland is much more Republican and evangelical than the coast.

What are the two types of courts and what do they do?

Trial and appellate. A trial court considers evidence, finds facts, and is bound to apply the law according to precedent as established by decisions of appellate courts. An appellate court applies the law to the facts found by the trial court and can create precedential decisions when interpreting the law.

Where do majority of cases begin? If losers do not like the decision, what can they do?

Trial courts (superior courts). Can appeal to one of the 6 courts of appeal.

What are possible reforms for the budgetary process?

Two-year budgets, reform cruise control spending, block grants and categorical spending, limit borrowing, change the mixture of revenues, reform the initiative process (limit ballot box budgeting), reform initiatives (i.e. Prop 13), legalize marijuana

Are political parties in California weak or strong?

Weak--making candidates dependent upon special interest groups for funding.

What is the initiative?

Whereas recalls and referenda are reactions to what elected officials do, initiatives allow citizens to make policy themselves by drafting a new law or a constitutional amendment and then circulating petitions to get it on the ballot. Qualifying a proposed law requires a number of signatures equal to 5 percent of the votes cast for governor in the last election; constitutional amendments require a number equal to 8. Petitioners have 150 days, and if they collect enough signatures, the initiative goes to the voters at the next election.

Who are the key political players in K-12 education governance?

o CTA (by far the most powerful) o Other education groups o Business groups o Faith based and ethnic based groups o Children's advocacy groups

What are some possible teacher reforms?

o Incentive pay/reforming seniority rights o Differential pay o Merit pay (or pay-for-performance) o Teacher autonomy/teacher decision-making o Teacher support o Teacher dismissal

What are some new revenue options?

o Statewide property tax o Split role property tax o Property tax-Before Prop 13, 2/3 came from commercial, 1/3 from residential. Now, 1/3 commercial, 2/3 residential (corporations taxed at same 1978 rates) o Income tax o Sin tax o Sales tax o Service tax o Repeal corporate tax exemptions o 55% vote on local parcel taxes o Combination of taxes