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Parties and voting

Parties and voting. 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

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Parties and voting

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  1. Parties and voting

  2. 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

  3. Partisan versus non-partisan elections • local elections and state judges are virtually all “non-partisan”

  4. 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?

  5. Primaries and General Elections • Primary: Choosing the candidates to compete in the General Election • General Election: choosing among the candidates to hold office

  6. 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

  7. Redistricting • Every 10 years, after census CA legislature redraws district boundaries for themselves and CA Representatives to the House in DC “Gerrymandering”

  8. Example: 60% Rep and 40% Dem

  9. Version A--three safe Rep districts

  10. Version B--two safe Rep, one safe Dem district 1 3 2

  11. Gerrymandering, contd • Current trend: • Computers exacerbate gerrymandering • Types • Partisan • Racial • Incumbent

  12. 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

  13. 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

  14. Who votes? • The old • The educated • The wealthy • The white

  15. Who Can’t • In CA— the convicted, while they are in prison lose the right to vote

  16. Campaign finance • Campaigns increasingly expensive--mostly for TV ads • Especially in CA

  17. Attempts to fix the problem • 1976 USSC throws out mandatory spending limits • 2002 Campaign finance--McCain Feingold • but campaign spending continues to grow

  18. Election Reform • Money--public funding for candidates--”clean elections”--including funds to match opponents private funding • AB 583 • More competition--redistricting reform • 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/

  19. Political Divide—recall election

  20. 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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