1. PS 103A: CALIFORNIA POLITICS Prof. Thad Kousser

3. Why Has California Become a Political Island Since the 2010 Elections?  Explanation #1: California has always been politically wacky  Explanation #2: California has changed Policy Change : early-1990s decline in defense spending Demographic Changes : white- and blue-collar defense workers moved away from California’s coastal areas, and were replaced by recent immigrants Political Change : from a North-South to an East- West state, new politics of immigration

4. California’s Transformation: North/South to East/West 1981-19822007-2008 Taken from Frederick Douzet and Ken Miller’s chapter in The New Political Geography of California.

5. California’s Transformation: North/South to East/West -1971--1980- -1990--2000- Evangelical Share of California’s Population 1971-2000, by Region Taken from Ariane Zambiras’ chapter in The New Political Geography of California.

6. Course Introduction  What this course is not about  What this course is about  Course plan and logistics

7. What This Course is Not About  How to be a good citizen.  Preface. “We believe that increased participation by an informed citizenry in the politics of California is vitally needed…” Power and Politics in California, John H. Culver and John C. Syer, 1980

8. What This Course is Not About  Ideological Conversion

9. What This Course is Not About  An Introduction to American Politics  Begins with the Constitution  Under a fixed set of rules, leaders react to an ever more complex society  Consensus on the basic features of our political system and what there is to learn

10. What This Course Is About  What you need to know in Sacramento  Mixture of political science research and political journalism  A state where the rules constantly change and no consensus tells us what to teach you

11. Course Plan and Logistics  Part I: Political Institutions in Flux  Part II: The Politics of Diversity  Part III: Perspectives on Policy  Theme A: Cycles in California Politics  Theme B: What Makes CA Different?  Theme C: How Do We Know What We Know?

12. Course Plan and Logistics  Midterm on November 3: 30% of grade  Paper due on December 3: 25% of grade  Bill analysis  Final Exam on December 10: 40% of grade  Class attendance and participation: 5% of grade

13. Course Plan and Logistics  Extensions or makeup exams:  Illness or family emergencies only  Re-grade policy:  In writing, grade can go up or down  Office Hours:  Tuesdays, 11:30-1:30, SSB 369

14. Course Plan and Logistics  Short biographies to begin each class:  Could show up as extra credit on the midterm and final  Each lecture is paired with a discussion section:  Be ready to discuss the readings  Discussion questions in that day’s lecture

15. Books I Will Not Assign

18. Books I Will Assign

19. Will and Kat’s Guide to Success: Pay Attention in Class!

20. Will and Kat’s Guide to Success: Work in Teams

21. Will and Kat’s Guide to Success: Keep Your Work Neat

22. Will and Kat’s Guide to Success: Keep up with your reading!

23. Will and Kat’s Guide to Success: Go to Daddy’s Office Hours