The Coming Age of Direct Democracy: California's Recall and Beyond
Aug 2007 · Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Ebook
260
Pages
About this ebook
This book examines the new, hybrid democracy that has been taking shape in California since the historic recall of Gov. Gray Davis and election of former actor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2003. During the recall and its aftermath, California has reached unprecedented levels of use of direct democracy, in which public policy decisions are made by voters at the ballot box, rather than by elected representatives in the legislature. Driven by Californians' long-standing populism and distrust of government, a new form of governance is emerging: one that seeks to avoid the pitfalls of party politics and influence by special interest groups that plague representative democracy, by increasing the role of voters at the ballot box. This book analyzes the hybrid democracy that has developed under Gov. Schwarzenegger, and how his leadership has encouraged its growth. Using the Public Policy Institute of California Statewide Surveys, which include interviews with more than 150,000 Californians, the authors detail the transformation in the state's political climate and the public attitudes behind this change. The authors conclude that this transformation will likely take place in other states, perhaps even nationwide, and offer recommendations for ways to improve policymaking in a hybrid democracy.
This book examines the new, hybrid democracy that has been taking shape in California since the historic recall of Gov. Gray Davis and election of former actor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2003. During the recall and its aftermath, California has reached unprecedented levels of use of direct democrac...
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About the author
Mark Baldassare is president and CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California, where he holds the Arjay and Frances Fearing Miller Chair in Public Policy. He is the author of nine previous books, including: A California State of Mind: The Conflicted Voter in a Changing World (2002); California in the New Millennium: The Changing Social and Political Landscape (2000); and When Government Fails: The Orange Country Bankruptcy (California, 1998).
Cheryl Katz is an independent public opinion researcher and California journalist. She has directed public opinion polling for California newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times, the Sacramento Bee and the San Francisco Chronicle. She is the author of numerous newspaper articles and scholarly publications on public opinion in California.
Cheryl Katz is an independent public opinion researcher and California journalist. She has directed public opinion polling for California newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times, the Sacramento Bee and the San Francisco Chronicle. She is the author of numerous newspaper articles and scholarly publications on public opinion in California.
Mark Baldassare is president and CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California, where he holds the Arjay and Frances Fearing Miller Chair in Public Policy. He is the author of nine previous books, including: A California State of Mind: The Conflicted Voter in a Changing World (2002); Californi...
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