Polarization and Parties in State and Local Governments

A word about public speaking:




CA GOP PLATFORM

CA DEM PLATFORM

A final look at DC polarization

State Governments

• GOP gains after 2010
• One-party states

Polarization (See ch. 8 of Green) -- updated data here 

Meth Labs of Democracy

Union power in CA

An example:

The union, backed by an army of 325,000 teachers and a war chest as sizable as those of the major political parties, can make or break all sorts of deals.

Perhaps no one felt CTA's power more than Schwarzenegger. In 2005, he asked voters to decide on a batch of ballot measures that struck at the heart of the union's power.

He wanted the authority to bypass Proposition 98. He proposed restricting unions' participation in politics. And he asked that teachers be required to work longer before winning tenure.

The union responded aggressively, approving a dues hike for an instant multimillion-dollar cash infusion. It spent nearly $60 million on a punishing "No" campaign. On election day, all of Schwarzenegger's proposals tanked.

During 2009 budget talks, Schwarzenegger pushed again for flexibility in education funding, which could have meant teacher layoffs. As Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders argued in the governor's conference room, Susan Kennedy, his chief of staff, received an email on her BlackBerry.

It was from [Joe] Nuñez, the CTA lobbyist, Kennedy recalled. 

"Don't go there," it read.

Democrats in the room, Kennedy fumed, were emailing Nuñez real-time updates on the budget talks.

"It was almost as if CTA had a seat at the table," said Kennedy, herself a Democrat.