Democracy in California: Politics and Government in the Golden State (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Ken Masugi (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"In Democracy in California: Politics and Government in the Golden State, Brian P. Janiskee and Ken Masugi clearly explain the politics and character of California's governmental institutions and the dynamics affecting the lives of its citizens. This book includes thorough coverage of California's constitution and development, and also discusses each branch of government as well as local systems. As Janiskee and Masugi explore the nature of public opinion, parties, and campaigns, they show the effects that the state's diverse population has on all levels of politics and government. Perfect for courses in state and local politics, Democracy in California is a succinct guide to the governmental intricacies of our nation's most populous state."

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. (September 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0742522512
• ISBN-13: 978-0742522510
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,231,344 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rare Textbook Find: California Politics With a Purpose, September 22, 2002

By	Richard H. Reeb Jr. (Barstow College, Barstow, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Democracy in California: Politics and Government in the Golden State (Paperback)

For those who teach American politics and government, there are distressingly few good textbook choices available for national or state courses. A rare exception to the dismayingly dreary or tiresomely trendy tomes that abound is "Democracy in California: Politics and Government in the Golden State." Authors Brian P. Janiskee and Ken Masugi have combined the standard features (formal and informal institutions, demographics, historical vignettes, recent developments, political terminology, etc.) with a thoughtful historical and philosophical approach that places California within the broad scope of American experience and Western political thought.
As its title suggests, this distinctive text draws both high inspiration and practical wisdom specifically from Alexis de Tocqueville's classic study, "Democracy in America" (1835). But the book is more than high-minded or useful: it is dead-on timely too. Tocqueville observed America during the Age of Jackson, early in the pre-Civil War crisis (1830-60) which both preceded and shaped California government. Thus, California was founded at a time (1849-50) when, as Tocqueville knew, republican government was under severe attack from Southern slavemasters and European autocrats. To the extent that the influence of the American founding was not attenuated by these attacks, the new State of California was both representative and free. But having weathered those challenges, California (and the nation) have had to endure the various phases and consequences of the Prussian administrative state which was the questionable contribution of the Progressive movement in the decades since the State's admission to the Union by the Compromise of 1850.
California has been shaped for good or for ill by these competing forces and is necessarily presented in this work as a sort of hodge podge in which multiple offices, frequent elections and political cronyism (the Jacksonian contribution) overlap with direct democracy, anti-partyism and professional expertise (the Progressive contribution). The battle over slavery shaped the State's original identity as a free state in the midst of a bitter sectional dispute but also long tainted its politics with racism. California defied the odds against republican government but the rise of the administrative state and its seemingly boundless taxing and spending--and bureaucratic meddling--puts the future of that regime in serious question. Not everything could be included in this relatively short (160 pages) work but no salient fact is overlooked as it bears upon the future of democracy in the Golden State.
The authors are discerning students of political philsophy, best exemplified today by Harry V. Jaffa, who single-handedly rescued Abraham Lincoln and principled anti-slavery politics from the near-oblivion of the professional historians. Janiskee and Masugi in turn seek to rescue California politics (but not many of its leading politicians)from the academic dead end to which years of pseudo-scientific approaches have relegated it. "Democracy in California" makes the study of California government and politics a much more serious and rewarding enterprise than it has been for many years and will be, if this book is widely adopted, for many more. Extensive footnotes and excellent bibliography. Highest recommendation.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars interesting, February 2, 2009

By	Victor e. Beltran iii - See all my reviews

This review is from: Democracy in California: Politics and Government in the Golden State (Paperback)

I bought this book upset because i have to fulfill a California requirement to graduate. Yet I have to say I found it an interesting read. It really opened my eyes about certain topics in California.

2.0 out of 5 stars Less here than meets the eye, May 7, 2009

By	Richard Gibson "Rick Gibson" (Woodland Hills, CA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Democracy in California: Politics and Government in the Golden State (Paperback)

In this short book, Janiskee and Magusi give us a brief overview of California politics and history. On the surface, there is a lot to like about this book. The authors are learned, intelligent people. The book is concise. As such things go, it is pretty well written; it moves and is even kind of funny once in a while.

The authors, however, have an overarching device, which, in my opinion, does not work. The book is an elaborate analog to Alexis de Tocqueville's famous 19th century book, Democracy in America. Maybe I am just the wrong guy to try that particular device with, because I have never been a fan of de Tocqueville. I realize that huge numbers of intelligent people are wildly enthusiastic about this long-ago Frenchmen and his allegedly deep insights into the soul of America and the nature of democracy, but the guy has never done anything for me. I have also reacted to him as a European windbag, with very little real understanding of either America or democracy.

So, maybe it is just me, but when our authors build their book around an elaborate comparison with this aged classic, I find that the comparison is strained and gets in the way of real understanding. Following the de Tocqueville approach, our authors have many philosophic laments about the inadequacy, in theory, of democracy. Sorry, but I thought this was a lot of impractical hot air. I much prefer a detailed discussion of issues such as exactly how has the Legislature managed to double spending in the last ten years, during a time when state services were visibly declining. I get the impression that our authors actually know a good deal about such practical issues, and I wish they had shared their knowledge more. If I want gaseous philosophy, I can produce my own. The reason I read this book was to learn some actual facts about how our government actually works. While I found some such facts, on the whole, there were not many.