California: The Politics of Diversity - The Essentials

Written by someone who teaches the California Politics course and who has worked in local government, this text is a comprehensive, thematically-organized treatment of California politics. This text uses two themesï'diversity and hyperpluralismï'that make this state's political climate so interesting. In particular, the author examines the growing proliferation of pressures and groups that compete for attention and make governing the state increasingly challenging. And, to illustrate the connection between California politics and American politics, the author discusses aspects of American politicsï'such as the democratic, elite, and pluralist theoriesï'and how these broader concepts add new clarity and depth to any understanding of California politics.