Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 348
•
Trim: 7 x 10
978-1-5381-8031-0 • Hardback • August 2023 • $95.00 • (£73.00)
978-1-5381-8032-7 • Paperback • August 2023 • $44.00 • (£34.00)
978-1-5381-8033-4 • eBook • August 2023 • $41.50 • (£32.00) (coming soon)
Jeff Cummins is Professor of Political Science and Co-Director of the Institute for Leadership and Public Policy at California State University, Fresno. He previously worked for the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) in Sacramento where he advised the legislature on budgetary and policy issues. He also worked for the California State Auditor, performing audits of various state agencies. He teaches several courses on California government, including California Politics and Public Budgeting. He is the author of Boom and Bust: The Politics of the California Budget and his publications on state politics and policy have appeared in such journals as State Politics and Policy Quarterly, Social Science Quarterly, and American Politics Research. He frequently provides commentary to news media and has been interviewed by National Public Radio (NPR) affiliates, the New York Times, The Economist, the National Journal, the Sacramento Bee, Los Angeles Times, and the Fresno Bee.
David G. Lawrence is professor emeritus of political science at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. As a teacher, scholar, and former public official, he has applied theory and practice to California politics. He served on a city council as mayor pro tem, chaired a regional planning agency, and is former president of the California Association of Councils of Governments (CALCOG). He currently serves on the Measure A Citizens Oversight Committee, a group that advises the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments on the expenditure of sales tax revenues earmarked for transportation (an estimated $1 billion over 30 years). He is also former president of the California Center for Education in Public Affairs, a consortium of colleges and universities dedicated to helping students better understand California politics through Sacramento seminars and post-election briefings.
1.Explaining California Politics
2.California’s Political Development
3.Constitutionalism and Federalism: The Perimeters of California Politics
4.Direct Democracy in a Hyperpluralistic Age
5.How Californians Participate
6.Linking People and Policymakers: Media, Parties, and Interest Groups
7.Legislative Politics
8.Executive Politics
9.California’s Judiciary
10.Community Politics
11.Budget Policy: The Cost of Diversity
12.Policies Stemming from Growth
13.Policies Stemming from Diversity
While it is often said that California is one of the world's most diverse democracies, this book gives concrete meaning to that characterization by exploring the ways in which diversity in our population, our economy, our geography, and our politics shapes our state. Centered around the cohesive theme of how California's diversity impacts its governance, policies, and its hyperpluralistic politics, the newest edition of Lawrence and Cummins's book will help students understand their state's history and its future.
— Thad Kousser, UC San Diego
- Updates to the Eleventh Edition include coverage of Governor Gavin Newsome’s first term; the impact of the COVID pandemic on the state’s politics and economy; and updated analysis of important policy areas such as water, housing, transportation, health care, K-12 education, higher education, and climate change
- Focus on diversity examines how demographic, cultural, economic, geographic, and political diversity affect how politics actually works in California
- Focus on hyperpluralism demonstrates how the many actors struggling for power in the state results in a highly competitive tug-of-war between ideologies, institutions, policymakers, political parties, interest groups, and voters
- Textboxes emphasize how California compares to the other states and highlight voices of prominent policymakers, all offering students a hook for learning important concepts
- Learning outcomes, chapter conclusions, key terms, and study questions offer students tools for learning
- An extensive art program includes updated charts, tables, photos, and cartoons to amplify key points and engage visual learners