Prep for HONR 301B Flashcards
A form of direct democracy that can essentially be anything, with the only limitation being that there can only be one subject at a time. It can be used as a tool to empower ordinary people to fight certain special interests.
Initiative
A form of direct democracy that can put a hold on a harmful law if it can be put on the ballot. Voters can approve a legislative action for it to take effect.
Referendum
Allows the electorate to remove elective officials between elections. Provision applies to state and local levels, including judges.
Recall
People making decisions, the collective public
Democratic theory
People, the upper class with the most money, make decisions
Elite theory
Many groups have ideas and interests, meaning that no one single group/individual makes all of the decisions. Multiple factions make multiple different decisions.
Pluralism
If we all have different interests, then the government will create a policy that appeals to different interests.
Shifting coalitions
Multiple interests make it difficult to get decisions made.
Hyperpluralism
narrow agenda groups that centralize around one issue. This polarizes CA politics.
Single issue politics
Spanish and Mexican control gave way to statehood and the development of a constitution. The government must turn society into a state by forming its own central role, guarding against early disunion, and develop a network of local economies.
Unification stage
Gold Rush, rise of the Southern Pacific Railroad, development of water resources, discovery of oil, WWII
industrialization stage
Political included economic growth, progressive policies, and visionary leadership.
Welfare stage
Growth and prosperity for top of the income ladder while many below deal with daily struggles.
Abundance stage
Product of historical events, migration and settlement patterns, and the presence of various social groups.
Political culture
Subculture characterized by the dominance of a small, self-perpetuating, paternalistic ruling elite and a large, complimentary non elite.
Traditionalistic subculture
Subculture that emphasizes a public-spirited citizenry dedicated to the common betterment of all its members. Ex: Midwest, South California
Moralistic subculture
Subculture that emphasizes the goals, aspirations, and initiative of private individuals or groups. Ex: East Coast, North California
Individualistic subculture
Agenda in which Warren’s progressive policies were continued. It can become “irresponsible” when too much growth causes more problems like freeway congestion and air pollution.
Responsible liberalism
Limited government operating within certain rules
Constitutionalism
Any group w/ requisite political power can garner benefits for themselves or deny them to others. Numerous provisions specifically address financial institutions, legal professionals, alcohol industry, church, contractors, utility companies, fishing industry, farmers, realtors, and transportation providers.
Group benefits
The national government limited itself to activities specifically mentioned by the US Constitution. Also known as Layer Cake Federalism.
Dual Federalism
National income tax, two world wars, and the Great Depression made both state and federal governments pay attention. Concerns are health, welfare, transportation, education, crime, and other issues.
Cooperative Federalism
“Feds” established their own goals when their capacity to tax and spend grew. Policy problems are national in scope and in nature.
Centralized federalism
Federal policies that supersede the authority of subnational governments. (Ex: immigration)
preemption
When the Feds take over a policy area but allow states to impose higher standards (Ex: Some environmental regulations)
Partial preemptions
When the Feds impose certain duties on subnational governments (Ex: Housing undocumented prisoners)
Mandates
Nixon used this term to describe his program that would share federal revenues with subnational governments and very few strings attached. Reagan continued this by seeking to end centralized federalism and targeted revenue sharing, various grants, and assorted federal programs.
New Federalism
Relationship between federal and subnational governments, including CA, today. Feds relative to the states and states relative to their local governments use coercion in lieu of funding to achieve policy objectives.
Pragmatic Federalism
States’ rights in order to address issues of health care, environmental regulation, medical marijuana, same-sex marriage, stem cell research, greater homeland security funding, immigration, and minimum wage increases.
Progressive federalism
Can be used at every level of local government in California. Not every state gets to make use of this.
Direct democracy
Changes the CA Constitution
Initiative Constitutional Amendment
A normal law
Initiative Statute
The proposition in which property taxes (local taxes) were cut in half by curbing their subsequent growth. Its provisions rolled back assessed property values to those of 1975, capped the tax at only 1% of assessed value, limited tax growth to 2% per year, limited future assessment increases to changes in ownership, and required two-thirds voter approval for future tax increases.
Proposition 13
Relatively rare but has been used recently. As with legislation, a referendum “yes” vote approves an already enacted law; a “no” vote repeals it.
Petition/popular/protest referendum
Voters must approve a legislative action for it to take effect. Within three months of a law’s passage, opponents may gather a requisite number of signatures to place the petition referendum on the next regularly scheduled statewide ballot.
Compulsory referendum
Must automatically go to the people for a vote. They utilize bonds, constitutional amendments, and changes to a previous ballot measure.
Legislative referendum
The extent to which the elected legislature can change, modify, or reject an initiative.
Legislative insulation
Occurs when measures are placed on the ballot, either through the initiative process or by the legislature, that modify the budget process, change the tax system, or redirect spending.
ballot-box budgeting
A plan that specifies what monies will be spent (expenditures) and how those monies will be obtained (revenue). Serve as short-term political contracts between various participants in the political process and between the voters and their government. Also represents a covenant or contract between a society’s present and its future.
budgets
Those California counties that have constitution-like documents replacing some general laws regarding elections, compensation, powers, and duties.
Charter counties
The idea that permanent government employees should be hired and evaluated based on merit, not politics.
civil service
Refers to the movement’s experience in California as individualistic, moralistic, white, middle class, urban, nonradical, and dependent on entrepreneurial leadership.
California Progressivism
Commander in chief of the state militia, grants clemency and ceremonial duties, informal powers, the ability to take advantage of political and economic context, events, and luck.
Powers of the governor
Judicial powers that allow the governor to grant acts of mercy, including a pardon, which allows the governor to release a convicted criminal; a commutation, which allows a sentence reduction; and a reprieve, which postpones a sentence.
Clemency
Head of State Government, the power to persuade/bargaining, media, and “going public”
Informal Powers (for the governor)
Independence from the governor, the plural executive, direct democracy, and the fact that not all of the bureaucracy is appointed by the governor.
Limits on the governor’s power
Top executive offices that are independently elected by Californians. The lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, superintendent of public instruction, insurance commissioner, and fiscal officers. Oversees a lot of administrative duties such as education and insurance.
Plural executive
Meant to check the power of the legislature and the executive branches by limiting the time that officials spend in office.
Term limits
The process of redistricting in which districts are divided based mainly on political party in order to dilute the strength of an opposing party and to increase the votes of another. Can also protect incumbents from any party, and has historically diluted the strength of minorities based on the process of redistricting by race.
gerrymandering
The growth and change that occur within political systems. Includes the government’s capacity to manage its own affairs, respond to demands placed on it, and to respond in a stable manner. Must further civil society, political participation, rule of law, and equality as well as an increase of economic specialization and social structures leading to group conflict and methods to resolve it.
Political development
Individual or group activity intended to exercise influence in the political system. Methods used to exercise such influence are either conventional or unconventional in nature inside or outside the norms considered acceptable by the larger society.
Political participation
Californians who move from one community to another because of policy dissatisfaction. Ex: Concerns related to traffic congestion, gang violence, school issues, or various quality of life issues.
Exit Option
Caused by extreme levels of community dissatisfaction. Consists of sporadic political protests that are sometimes violent/non-violent. Has always been a part of America’s political heritage.
Protest Option
Significant language groups must be provided election materials in their language.
Voting Rights Act of 1975
Range from solo practitioners to large firms. They advise candidates on all aspects of campaigning, coordinate the use of specialists, and control the technology used in the campaign.
General campaign managers
They do direct mail or stage expensive dinners featuring “drawing card” celebrities (movie stars or recording artists).
Public relations firms
They divide California into media markets and work with candidates and initiative campaigns to produce newspaper advertisements and broadcast commercials.
Traditional media specialists
Requires candidates to report campaign spending and to disclose personal income, which requires legal analysis and meticulous bookkeeping, especially in the larger races.
State regulations
Allows any campaign to manage the overall effort, maintains lists of voters, volunteers, and donors, generate correspondence, and compile reports required by California’s Fair Political Practices Commission.
Computer software
They ask voters what they think about issues and candidates. They use initial benchmark polls and tracking polls depending on how particular the campaign is.
Polling specialists
They test voter reactions to commercials and other political stimuli in order to help pollsters measure the intensity of voter feelings and the impact of campaign messages.
Small focus groups
The largest source of campaign funds for legislative and statewide races. They commonly contribute to incumbents and legislators that control legislation of interest to them. They can contribute to both sides, assuring some access regardless of who wins in open seat elections.
Political action committees (PACs)
The Proposition that established contribution limits and voluntary expenditure ceilings for state candidates. It allowed the FPPC to adjust these limits and ceilings to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index.
Proposition 34
To get around Prop 34 limits, individuals and interest groups raised and spent unlimited amounts of money on a particular candidate as long as they didn’t consult, cooperate, or coordinate their efforts with the relevant campaign or measure.
independent expenditure committees
6 recognized political parties of the United States
American Independent, Democratic, Republican, Green, Libertarian, Peace and Freedom
They care more about specific ideological positions and less about winning office. So they often put new ideas/issues on the agenda (public view, the radar of policymakers)
Minor parties (third parties)
parties should present clear and coherent platforms, voters should choose candidates according to these party platforms, the winning party should carry out the programs of the platform once they are in office, voters can then hold the governing party responsible for executing its platform and the consequences of that.
The Responsible Party Model
Voters who hold partisan affiliations
Party in the electorate
Partisan elected officials and institutions, such as the legislature, that organize around party labels.
party in the government
The extent to which citizens affiliate with, relate to, or support a specific political party.
Party identification
Allow voters to vote in spring for the general election candidates. It starts with the Party Column Ballot (straight party voting)
Primary elections
When each candidate and party is listed separately- vote for whom you choose
Block ballots
Two candidates, regardless of party, can advance to compete in the general election. Ex: Two Republicans can face off in the general election.
“Top two” system
When party is everything and when candidates go directly to general election (November) ballots.
“Smoke filled rooms”
The key organization unit for both Republicans and Democrats. On a yearly basis, members of this organization meet to discuss policy issues, select party leaders, hear elected officials and major candidates speak, “network” with each other, and rally the party faithful.
State central committee
Mostly elected in primary elections by voters that don’t really know who they are. In recent years, they have come to serve as “middlemen” between donors and candidates. Wealthy donors donate large chunks of money to these types of committees, and they send the money to party candidates in competitive races.
County central committees
Primarily motivated by money- income, profits, better salaries, or the economic health of a company or trade. They range from individual companies to trade associations to employee groups. Ex: ARCO, Association of California Insurance Companies
economic groups
They provide member services and represent group interests in the policy process. They possess economic interests and are concerned about the regulation of their particular professions. Ex: California Teachers Association, California Bar Association
professional groups
They represent various units of government at the state and local level; their representatives include the League of California Cities, the California State Association of Counties, and much more. The state even lobbies itself; executive branch agencies routinely defend their own interests at legislative hearings.
Public agency groups
They attract members from other groups due to social, ethnic, ideological, religious, or emotional ties. Ex: California Church Impact, the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, etc. Scholars and policymakers call some of these groups “public interest” groups because their policy goals are not solely economic or professional in nature.
Cross cutting groups
Some California groups defy reasonable classification and are usually ad hoc or single issue in nature; when the issue dies, they die. Ex: California Trout Inc., California Thoroughbred Breeders Association
Miscellaneous groups
Some California groups are local chapters of statewide groups, such as the Sierra Club. They provide “on the ground” support for statewide policy positions and are available to lobby legislators during frequent district visits. Some are purely local such as the Bay Area Transportation and Land Use Coalition.
Local groups
Whatever the government chooses to do or not do.
Public policy
A plan that specifies what monies will be spent (expenditures) and how those monies will be obtained (revenues).
Public budget
This reflects societal priorities and shows where the government allocates its money, which resembles political power- who pays, who benefits, who wins, and who loses where money is concerned.
Public policy
Shapes the government around various spending and taxing decisions, which influences what policymakers do and what can and cannot be done. Ex: CA’s state budget exemplifies past budget decisions by policymakers and voters, legislative/gubernatorial relationships, population growth, interest group conflict, and the health of the state economy.
budget policy
Represents agreements and commitments between two or more parties.
Contracts
Consists of a general fund (for ongoing operations), special funds (revenues and expenditures segregated for specific purposes), and bond funds (revenues and expenditures involving borrowed monies).
California’s state budget
Pros- More control, especially over tax rates and how they’re spent, protect area from development, unable to be annexed by another city, maintain identity.
Cons- Communities that manage to incorporate drain county budgets further by reducing the county’s share of property and sales taxes.
Incorporated communities
Pros- Still have law enforcement and transportation and other state-mandated services. House very niche communities formed from special interests, etc.
Cons- Can be annexed randomly, they don’t have as much access to services as counties and incorporated communities do. Sometimes boards make numerous decisions that unintentionally negatively affect these types of communities.
Unincorporated communities
Structure of city government most used by all OC cities. This form often determines a city manager’s success, which might place unrealistic expectations on the mayor. Mayors can preside over council meetings and take media interviews, but their role is largely ceremonial. Modestly paid city councils hire professionals to appoint department heads and run affairs.
Council-Manager Form
Cities that use this form have to be officially nonpartisan and can use powers such as approving budgets, confirming appointments, deciding land use projects, and being able to reject decisions by other city bodies, such as rejecting a proposed utility rate increase.
Mayor-Council Form
Pros- They provide a variety of services, such as trash collection, park/public lawn maintenance, legal services, police (OC Sheriff), and the fire department (OC Fire Authority). Also known as phantom cities, they can be located outside of traditional downtowns or central business districts. Essentially governed at the neighborhood level by Homeowner Associations (HOAs).
Pros of Contract cities
Cons- HOAs’ power is largely unregulated by the state, which often leads to more court cases. A consumer culture is extremely predominant in phantom cities and blurs the traditional relationship between central city downtowns and surrounding suburbs. They also have to buy their variety of services from counties very often, which might sink teeth into their budget.
Cons of contract cities
