Concerns Mary Ellen Leary's work as reporter and editor on the San Francisco News, with comments on politics, legislative leaders, governors, lobbyists, etc., changes in San Francisco and issues such as city planning, housing, regional planning, rapid transit, etc.; civic minded women, etc.

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CALIFORNIA POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT provides a concise yet thorough overview of California's complex political system. This brief "nuts and bolts" treatment uses contemporary examples that are both appealing to read and illustrative of complex principles. The text includes coverage of such major issues as the economy, education, and immigration, and discusses the impact of these issues on California politics. In addition, the text integrates public policy coverage throughout the text, instead of consigning it to one chapter - keeping students focused on the practical effects of legislation and other government activities.

California is full of myths and legends, but its political system shouldn’t be. In this refreshingly critical take, Edgar Kaskla brings an analysis of power—how it is distributed, how it is used, and to what end—to bear on California’s political system and the many troubling issues it currently faces. Starting from the premise that California is in deep crisis politically, economically, culturally, and environmentally, Kaskla traces the state’s economic and political development as a process controlled by and for the elite, be they land barons, the Hollywood glitterati, or Silicon Valley execs. Kaskla focuses on what he calls growth machine politics—elites and their land use as promoters of development and redevelopment—to show students how the gap between the rich and poor in California continues to widen. As minority communities increase in size, as the cost of campaigning in the state balloons, and as the state’s debt crisis mounts, the socio-economic and cultural issues at play in California add up to a real threat to democratic governance. Kaskla clearly outlines how each of the state’s institutions are organized, but also shows how they are affected—indeed distorted—by a host of serious economic and social inequalities. Not one to mince words, Kaskla is in places irreverent, but his text is thoroughly researched and well argued, never crossing the line into the polemical. Tables, figures, maps, and lists for further reading help reinforce the book’s substantive points and critical approach, and a host of student and instructor ancillaries help with study, review, and preparation.

This is the eBook of the printed book and may not include any media, website access codes, or print supplements that may come packaged with the bound book. Updated in its 14th edition, California Government and Politics Today focuses on ethnic and cultural diversity, the global economy’s impact on California (and vice versa), and the emphasis on political involvement as an essential component of achieving the California Dream. This new edition continues a tradition of scholarly and practical coverage of California government.