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Published byAgnes Dana Cameron Modified over 9 years ago
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Parties and voting
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Hiram Johnson and the Progressives of early 1900s Middle class reform movement against: Control over government by elite special interests (SPR) Strong (corrupt) party “machines”, based on favors and patronage So favored: Accountable government direct democracy—”people power” Weak party organizations
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Partisan versus non-partisan elections local elections and state judges are virtually all “non-partisan”
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State elections-- More “Progressive” legacy special elections Called by governor or by petition recall Initiatives and referenda (As opposed to usual way law is made-- majority in one house, then other, conference, then signed (or vetoed) by governor) The voice of the people or special interests? Constraining the role of the legislature?
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Primaries and General Elections Primary: Choosing the candidates to compete in the General Election General Election: choosing among the candidates to hold office
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Partisan primaries Federal and state offices are partisan 1996 CA voters passed proposition for “open primary”—thrown out by USSC Now we have “semi-closed” primary
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Redistricting Every 10 years, after census CA legislature redraws district boundaries for themselves and CA Representatives to the House in DC “Gerrymandering”
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Example: 60% Rep and 40% Dem
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Version A--three safe Rep districts
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Version B--two safe Rep, one safe Dem district 1 23
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Gerrymandering, contd Current trend: Computers exacerbate gerrymandering Types Partisan Racial Incumbent
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Incumbency Advantage Of the 101 CA incumbents who ran for reelection in 2002 and 2004, all were reelected, and 99 of these 101 incumbents won by landslides. Why? Self-fulfilling prophecy term limits? at state level, not federal CA—6 ys Assembly 8 ys Senate, lifetime ban—most stringent in the nation
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Results of Term Limits More diverse—20 Latinos Citizen legislators?—not really Of 40 Senators, 36 are former assemblymembers Less experience and knowledge From 1960s-1990s, CA often described as model “professional legislature” Shorter time horizon Increased power of lobbyists and advocacy groups Increased power of Governor
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Who votes? The old The educated The wealthy The white
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Who Can’t In CA— the convicted, while they are in prison lose the right to vote
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Campaign finance Campaigns increasingly expensive--mostly for TV ads Especially in CA
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Attempts to fix the problem 1976 USSC throws out mandatory spending limits 2002 Campaign finance--McCain Feingold but campaign spending continues to grow
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Election Reform 1.Money--public funding for candidates--”clean elections”-- including funds to match opponents private funding AB 583 1.More competition--redistricting reform 2.More choices--instead of “single member district winner take all”: party lists, cumulative voting, choice or instant run-offs, etc. see http://msnbc.com/modules/mockracy/
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Political Divide—recall election
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Method of voting Growth of electronic voting But big story—growth of voting by mail Increased convenience resulting in greater turnout?
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