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Participation

Participation. POSC 140 Intro to CA Governments and Politics Braunwarth. Public Opinion. How is Public Opinion more accurately expressed: Direct Democratic Action or through the deliberation of Representatives? Why? Which does a better job of governing? Why?

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Participation

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  1. Participation POSC 140 Intro to CA Governments and Politics Braunwarth

  2. Public Opinion • How is Public Opinion more accurately expressed: Direct Democratic Action or through the deliberation of Representatives? • Why? • Which does a better job of governing? • Why? • Most participation is Indirect, why?

  3. Direct Democracy How used at State and Local level? • Ballot “propositions” (24 states use) • New England “town hall meetings” • Neighborhood Meetings • Small Township Meetings

  4. Historical Roots of CA Ballot Propositions • Part of “Progressive” movement (late 19th-early 20th c.) • Championed by Gov. Hiram Johnson • Response to Political Corruption and Economic Exploitation • Wanted to Empower the Average Citizen and • Free CA politics from the railroad “barons”

  5. Political Corruption • Party Politics often stood in way of the best, technical solution so ...? • Nonpartisan local elections (is there a Republican technique to filling potholes?) • Civil Service instead of Patronage • Use of City Manager, City Planning Commission, etc.

  6. Economic Exploitation • Progressives also wanted to protect citizens from economic exploitation • What changes were made? • Anti-trust laws • child labor laws • product safety laws • etc.

  7. Initiatives • Constitutional or Statutory Constitutional: changes the Constitution • need signatures of 8% of percent of turnout for last Gov. race (693,000) Statutory: need only 5% (433,000) • Which is more common? Why? • Constitutional can’t be invalidated because conflicts with CA constitution

  8. Legislative Initiatives Legislature must get public approval through initiative if: • Put state in debt (bond issues) • Change the Constitution • Alter or Amend laws originally passed as ballot measures • Legislators occasionally don’t want to touch controversial issues and pass the buck to the voters

  9. Effort to invalidate laws already passed by the legislature Must get 5% signatures within 90 days to delay implementation of the law Rarely used. Why? Time Constraints Just use an initiative Referendums

  10. Recall • Elections to remove an elected official from office • Used to remove Gov. Davis in 2004 • Voters were primarily upset with the poor state of the economy and the budget • What were the primary causes of these problems? • General Economic Downturn, Dot-Com bust, Terrorist Attacks, Electricity Crisis • Is Davis responsible or to blame for any of these? • Is this Direct Democracy run amok?

  11. Use of Initiative is Increasing • Alternative used by same groups who lobby legislature a. Economic Interests who have some-thing to gain or defend (businesses, trade associations, unions, etc.) b. “Grass roots” Interests: cigarette smoking, services to illegal immigrants, nuclear safety, CA coastline, etc.

  12. Expensive Undertakings • Who foots the bill? • “The People” or • Well-funded special interests? • Typically hire a professional organization to get petitions and conduct campaign • paid petition circulators ($.75/signature) • no limits on spending and much spent • Does more spending mean success?

  13. Who Benefits? • For whose benefit were these intended? • Does it still work this way? • Tends to benefit those already well-off and established • Need money and resources to put initiatives on the ballot • If don’t have resources, hard to use • Benefits the Haves > Have-Nots

  14. Who Loses? • Tyranny of the Majority often violates the norm of Political Equality • At expense of Minorities and Outgroups • Only 1/3 of inititiatives pass with public approval • But 3/4 that restrict the civil rights of minorities and homosexuals have passed • Public Approval does not mean ethically right or constitutionally valid

  15. Why about Representative Democracy? • Legislators, in theory, represent needs of all individuals in their district • Propositions often present an extreme view which must be decided yes or no • Consequently often poorly drawn • Bypasses legislative process of debate, amendment, and compromise • Symptomatic of cynical mistrust of elected officials

  16. Examples • 1996 Proposition 209 “The California Civil Rights Initiative” • Equates Discrimination with Preference • English Only propositions: • 1986 Proposition 63 (English only) • 1998 Proposition 227 (no bilingual education) • How comfortable are we with Hyperpluralism?

  17. Questions • Does the Initiative process facilitate or hinder democracy? • How will Teledemocracy change direct participation in the future? • How will this affect the quality and stability of decision making? • What dangers do you foresee? • How will turnout be affected? • What groups will use to their own ends?

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