California Politics and Public Policy

Course Description

Why is California—the world’s fifth-largest economy and the undisputed vanguard of progressive policy—so frequently paralyzed by the very crises it seeks to solve? How can a state with supermajorities committed to climate action, racial equity, and public investment struggle so acutely to build affordable housing, construct clean transit, prevent catastrophic megafires, resolve structural water deficits, and manage extreme inequality?

This course examines California government and public policy through the dynamic analytical tension between two foundational contemporary frameworks:

• The Polycrisis Thesis (Adam Tooze): Shocks across climate, housing, public health, energy, and municipal finance are no longer isolated events; they are deeply entangled, compounding, and mutually reinforcing. The whole is more volatile and dangerous than the sum of its parts.
• The Abundance Agenda (Ezra Klein & Derek Thompson): Progressive governance suffers from an institutional "vetocracy" and "everything-bagel liberalism"—where procedural hurdles, environmental review litigation (CEQA), local zoning vetoes, and fragmented bureaucracy manufacture artificial scarcity.

To evaluate these competing diagnostics, we anchor our policy debates in Deborah Stone’s Policy Paradox—contrasting the rationalist Market Model with the Polis Model—while mastering the structural mechanics of state and local institutions using the Open Oregon Educational Resource textbook.

Prerequisite Knowledge or Coursework

None.

Textbooks

• State & Local Government Nuts and Bolts (Free OER): Simon, Christopher A., et al. State and Local Government and Politics: An Open Oregon Educational Resource (3rd Edition). Oregon State University.
• Policy Theory & The Polis: Stone, Deborah. Policy Paradox: The Art of Political Decision Making [Book/Library] (W. W. Norton & Co.).
• All other readings online or on canvas.
• California Policy Dashboard & California Policy Workbook.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of political institutions, processes, and theories.
2. Analyze complex political phenomena using appropriate methodological and theoretical frameworks.
3. Communicate political analyses effectively in both written and oral formats.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to:

1. Analyze the institutional architecture of California state and local government, including the legislature, executive, judiciary, and direct democracy mechanisms.
2. Evaluate contemporary California policy challenges through the competing theoretical frameworks of the "Polycrisis" and the "Abundance Agenda."
3. Apply Deborah Stone’s Polis and Market models to dissect real-world policy battles over housing, climate, water, and public finance.
4. Formulate evidence-based policy recommendations and articulate them through academic writing, memos, and legislative simulations.

Course Format & Delivery

This course spans a duration of 16 weeks and convenes three times a week on campus. The scheduled class sessions are held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, excluding campus holidays. The course materials, readings, and assignment submissions will be managed via the Canvas platform. Active participation in daily debates and simulations is a core component of the in-person experience.

Course Assignments

Below is a summary of the assignments for this course. Please note that as part of your coursework, you will also complete the California Policy Podcast Project. In this assignment, you will step into the shoes of a policy journalist to interview a practitioner working in a policy advocacy organization within one of California's distinct regions. You'll research their recent work, conduct a 45-minute interview, and record it as a podcast episode that bridges their regional work to our local context in Ventura County.

Course Grading Policy

Student work will be graded based on analytical rigor, integration of course concepts, clarity of writing, and empirical accuracy. Grading rubrics for the Final Examination are available in Canvas. Students can expect to receive feedback on reading memos within one week of submission, and within two weeks for major papers.

Attendance Policy

Attendance and active participation are essential components of this seminar-style course and account for 10% of your total grade. Missing more than three unexcused classes will negatively impact your participation score. In the event of illness or an anticipated absence, please email the instructor prior to class to make necessary arrangements. Regardless of whether an absence is excused, students are responsible for all material covered and assignments due. Accurate attendance records are maintained for all class sessions.

Late Policy

Assignments submitted after the deadline will incur a 10% penalty for each day they are late. Assignments more than five days late will not be accepted without prior authorization. If you are facing extenuating circumstances, please contact the instructor before the deadline to discuss a potential extension.

Device and AI Policy

Following the pedagogical model recently adopted by the University of Chicago’s Social Sciences Core, this course is designed as an "analog" environment. We strongly believe that equipping students to read, write, and think independently—without dependence on artificial intelligence or constant digital distraction—is essential to evaluating the complex problems of California governance.

• Device-Free Classroom: The use of laptops, tablets, and smartphones is generally prohibited during class. Our seminars will rely on device-free, guided discussions to afford students the freedom to think for themselves and engage in good faith, face-to-face, without the cacophony of disembodied voices. For students who prefer digital notes, we recommend taking handwritten notes and using free OCR (Optical Character Recognition) apps after class to transcribe them. Excellent free options include Microsoft Lens, Google Drive, or the built-in document scanner in Apple Notes.
• AI Tool Usage: You are welcome to use artificial intelligence tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude) to brainstorm ideas, clarify concepts, or improve your general understanding of the material. However, the use of AI to write, draft, or complete any graded assignments is strictly prohibited. Human engagement and human expertise remain central to the core work of this class.

Exceptions to the device-free norm may occasionally be carved out by the instructor for specific purposes, such as collectively examining tabulations in a dataset or accessing specific library resources. If you need an accommodation to use technology due to a disability, please contact Disability Support Services (DSS) so we can arrange the appropriate modifications.

Technical Skills and Technology Required

Please refer to the Student Resources section in Canvas for a description of general technology requirements. For this course, students will also need access to basic word processing software and the ability to navigate online state databases (such as the LAO and PPIC websites).

University Policies and Resources

Note: All course readings, as well as the California Politics Workbook, will be available online.

Visit the Student Resources site in Canvas for links to relevant university policies and resources, including information about academic support, student support, and library services.

• Classroom Environment: Discussions in this course touch upon contested political values, economic distributions, and identity. We will maintain an intellectually rigorous, respectful environment where students can critique policy arguments, assumptions, and institutional outcomes constructively.
• Accommodations: California Lutheran University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to students with documented disabilities. Contact the Center for Academic Resources at the start of the semester to coordinate accommodations.
• Academic Integrity: Plagiarism and uncredited AI generation of written submissions will result in an F on the assignment and referral to the academic conduct board. All academic arguments must cite evidence and original sources accurately.

Addendum

Carnegie Hour Table (For 4-Credit Class - 15 Weeks + Finals)

Week 1: The Polycrisis and the Abundance Agenda

Week 2: The Market, the Polis, Equity, and Efficiency

Week 3: Federalism and the Foundations of State Governance

Week 4: State Constitutions and the Politics of Numbers

Week 5: Local Government and Bureaucracy

Week 6: Key Actors and Interests

Week 7: Midterm and Executives

Week 8: Legislatures and Causes

Week 9: Budgeting and Decisions

Week 10: Rules, Welfare, and Traditional State Services

Week 11: Liberty, Surveillance, and Rights

Week 12: Infrastructure, Inequality, and Decision-Making

Week 13: Entitlements, Social Welfare, and Education Funding

Week 14: Security and Social Welfare

Week 15: Political Causes and Final Examination

Finals Week