1. California Voters, Candidates, Campaigns... u Voters u Candidates u Campaigns u Money u Media u Elections, Campaigns, and the Media

2. Voters u Eligibility: citizen; resident in CA for 29 days before election;18 years old; not in prison, on probation, in mental institution u 33 million residents; >21 million eligible to vote u 16 million registered (76%); 11 million vote u Who votes? elderly, suburbanites, Republicans...

3. Candidates u Weak parties; candidates aren’t as often recruited u Individuals interested in politics, with resources u Historically, white males with money; not as representative of population as some states u Begin to see changes in 1990s with more Latino and women candidates u Longest serving leader of Assembly: Willy Brown u Fewer Asian Americans or gays or lesbians

4. Campaigns u Primary elections since 1909; emphasis on individuals and personalities u Campaign consultants used first in California u Cost of campaigns is high ($1 million for state leg) u 1998 gubernatorial campaign exceeded $100 M (Al Checchi spent $38 M) u Political Reform Act of 1974 required disclosure u Proposition 34 sets limits on contributions

5. Money u PACs can pay for ads and mailings independently and bypass some restrictions u Money buys access and long-term influence u Consultants are required to manage TV advertising u 90% of voters report influence by TV ads u In ‘98, $47 M spent on TV ads for Indian gaming u Direct mail used when advertising too costly u Increased use of Internet (2 in 1994; >300 in 2000)

6. The Media u Historically, newspaper moguls dominated politics u LA Times: Harrison Gray Otis u San Francisco Examiner: William Randolph Hearst u San Francisco Chronicle: de Young brothers u Sacramento Bee: James McClatchy u When families controlled papers, editorials were personal; today papers owned by corporations; even editorials are more “professional”

7. The Media u Television u Most stations rely on newspapers for state government information u Candidates who want exposure can rely on 4 stations: Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento (represent 85% of viewing public) u Most stations don’t cover political debates because they don’t attract sufficient viewers

8. Elections, etc. u More money, fewer substantive reports of candidates and issues, more emphasis on personalities and candidate ads u Fewer voters register and vote u Are voters satisfied? u Is democracy working?