California is full of myths and legends, but its political system shouldn’t be. In this refreshingly critical take, Edgar Kaskla brings an analysis of power—how it is distributed, how it is used, and to what end—to bear on California’s political system and the many troubling issues it currently faces. Starting from the premise that California is in deep crisis politically, economically, culturally, and environmentally, Kaskla traces the state’s economic and political development as a process controlled by and for the elite, be they land barons, the Hollywood glitterati, or Silicon Valley execs.

Kaskla focuses on what he calls growth machine politics—elites and their land use as promoters of development and redevelopment—to show students how the gap between the rich and poor in California continues to widen. As minority communities increase in size, as the cost of campaigning in the state balloons, and as the state’s debt crisis mounts, the socio-economic and cultural issues at play in California add up to a real threat to democratic governance. Kaskla clearly outlines how each of the state’s institutions are organized, but also shows how they are affected—indeed distorted—by a host of serious economic and social inequalities.

Not one to mince words, Kaskla is in places irreverent, but his text is thoroughly researched and well argued, never crossing the line into the polemical. Tables, figures, maps, and lists for further reading help reinforce the book’s substantive points and critical approach, and a host of student and instructor ancillaries help with study, review, and preparation.

Introduction: The Imagined West and the Myth of California

1. Capitalism and Inequality: The Limits of Democracy and Elite Power

2. The Historical Development of Elite Politics

3. Elite Politics: Individuals and Organizations

4. Gaining Political Access: Parties, Campaigns, and Elections

5. The Legislative Process and the Role of Interest Groups: The Road to a Professional Legislature and Back Again

6. California’s Governor and Challenges to the Plural Executive System: Gubernatorial Competence and Political Personality

7. The Dual System of Justice: From Dual Justice to No Justice?

8. Local Governments and Obsessive Development

9. The Chronic: California’s Budget Crisis

10. Conclusions: The Limits to Democracy and the Limits to Government

Edgar Kaskla, a native Californian, is a lecturer in the Department of Political Science at California State University, Long Beach. He teaches American politics, comparative politics, international relations, and political theory. He has taught the California Government in Comparative Perspective for over 10 years now. He has previous teaching experience at UCI, Cal State Fullerton, and University of Redlands, and he received his PhD from UC-Irvine.