Synopses & Reviews
Clear, concise, and straightforward, CALIFORNIA POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT: A PRACTICAL APPROACH, 10E, takes a unique nuts-and-bolts approach to give you insight into real-life politics. The authors use current examples and vivid explanations to decode the complexities of California politics, helping you understand how state government really works and what it means to you. Thoroughly updated, the new edition illustrates how key economic, social, education, and immigration issues impact California politics. The text includes new court cases on emotionally charged topics such as gay marriage, updates on the ongoing budget crisis, coverage of the 2008 elections, changes in government regulations, and more. The text also shows you how policy is made. In addition, public policy coverage is thoroughly integrated throughout the text so you can see firsthand how legislation and other government activities affect your world--now and in the future.
Review
"Gerston is probably the best brief overview of California Politics and Government on the market today, benefiting from the long tenure of its two authors in the classroom where the real work of teaching is done."
Review
"It is the gold-standard for California politics."
Review
"The Gerston text is better written, presents more nuanced material, and confronts the realities of state politics more effectively than [the competition]."
Review
"I like it because it is clearly written, and the chapter intros, tables and figures present the critical information. The chapter intros do an excellent job of setting up the presentation of material, telling the students what is important and why."
Review
"A lucid, well organized, and interesting account of California government and politics."
Synopsis
CALIFORNIA POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT is a brief "nuts and bolts" book with contemporary examples that offer students a real life view of politics while illustrating the complex principles at work in California Government. In addition to introducing California's complex political system to students, major issues as economics, education, and immigration are discussed as along with their impact on California politics. Coverage of interests groups, campaigns and state/federal relations is particularly notable. Furthermore, the text integrates public policy coverage throughout the text, instead of consigning it to individual chapters-making connections and focusing students on the real impacts and practical effects of legislation and other government activities on their lives.
About the Author
Larry N. Gerston, professor emeritus of political science at San Jose State University, interacts with the political process as both an author and an observer. As an author, he has written ten academic books in addition to CALIFORNIA POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT: A PRACTICAL APPROACH, including MAKING PUBLIC POLICY: FROM CONFLICT TO RESOLUTION (1983), POLITICS IN THE GOLDEN STATE (with Terry Christensen, 1984), THE DEREGULATED SOCIETY (with Cynthia Fraleigh and Robert Schwab, 1988), AMERICAN GOVERNMENT: POLITICS, PROCESS AND POLICIES (1993), PUBLIC POLICY: PROCESS AND PRINCIPLES (1987), PUBLIC POLICYMAKING IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY: A GUIDE TO CIVIC ENGAGEMENT (2002), RECALL! CALIFORNIA'S POLITICAL EARTHQUAKE (with Terry Christensen, 2004), AMERICAN FEDERALISM: A CONCISE INTRODUCTION (2007), CONFRONTING REALITY: TEN ISSUES THREATENING TO IMPLODE AMERICAN SOCIETY AND HOW WE CAN FIX IT (2009), and NOT SO GOLDEN AFTER ALL: THE RISE AND FALL OF CALIFORNIA (2012). As an observer, Gerston serves as the political analyst for NBC11, a San Francisco Bay Area television station, where he appears on a regular basis. He has written more than a hundred op-ed pieces for newspapers throughout the nation and speaks often on issues such as civic engagement and personal political empowerment.
Table of Contents
"Gerston is probably the best brief overview of California Politics and Government on the market today, benefiting from the long tenure of its two authors in the classroom where the real work of teaching is done." "The Gerston text is better written, presents more nuanced material, and confronts the realities of state politics more effectively than [the competition]." "I like it because it is clearly written, and the chapter intros, tables and figures present the critical information. The chapter intros do an excellent job of setting up the presentation of material, telling the students what is important and why." "A lucid, well organized, and interesting account of California government and politics." "It is the gold-standard for California politics."