POSC 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Direct Democracy
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California Politics I: A Democracy in Crisis
5/1/18
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1. California Politics
a. What are its primary characteristics? (what makes it unique)
i. It has an extreme of “direct democracy”
1. We can make laws ourselves (we have multiple elections)
b. Why is CA politics the way it is?
i. The legacy of the progressives (a movement)
1. Mistrust of politics
2. Changes to give people more power
ii. Other important social, economic; political changes
1. Progressives movement supported
a. Women’s suffrage (right to vote)
b. Enriched anti child labor laws
c. Pro-union
d. Conservation policy
c. Direct primaries
d. Put restrictions on money (donations)
e. *Non partisanship in local elections
i. Bipartisan = both parties work together
ii. Non partisan = no parties (you are not allowed to know what party
they’re from (parties are corrupt)
1. They want you to focus on the candidate only - what
they’re about
2. Enacted 3 tools (very powerful) for direct democracy
a. Initiatives
i. Citizens make laws themselves **
ii. If we go to vote, you see a bunch of propositions
b. Referendums
i. When citizens overturn passed by the legislature
c. Recall (rarely used)
i. When we kick someone out of the office (get petition to vote off)
3. Pros with direct democracy
a. We can make the laws we think we need
b. We can get engaged in influential ways in politics
Document Summary
5/1/18: california politics, what are its primary characteristics? (what makes it unique) i. It has an extreme of direct democracy : we can make laws ourselves (we have multiple elections, why is ca politics the way it is? i. The legacy of the progressives (a movement: mistrust of politics, changes to give people more power ii. Other important social, economic; political changes: progressives movement supported, women"s suffrage (right to vote, enriched anti child labor laws, pro-union, conservation policy, direct primaries, put restrictions on money (donations, *non partisanship in local elections i. ii. 1: huge unintended consequences (meaning it to be one thing but the opposite happens, what do we pay for with our taxes? i. Statutory laws: regular law, 5% of votes cast in gubernatorial election, 365,000 votes, 150 days to get it on ballot, 8% of votes cast in , 500,000 votes, 150 days to get it on the ballot ii.
