So far, in this chapter, we have examined political values and how they shape political ideologies and party positions. Then, we introduced debates about who should decide policy, considering direct and representative democracy and their underlying power structures. As we study politics, we observe so many phenomena that it is helpful to organize our study of politics further.
Political scientists use systems theory as a better way to organize their inquiries. Systems theory conceptualizes a subject of study as including three parts: inputs, an exchange mechanism, and outputs. Many areas of life are systems, such as the human body's functions, the lake's ecology, or the sale of cheeseburgers at a local restaurant. Politics is a system composed of the people, linkage institutions, policymaking institutions, and policies. Linkage institutions, such as voting, parties, interest groups, and campaigns, connect the people (as represented by political culture, beliefs, and ideologies) to policymaking institutions, including the legislative, executive, and judicial branches that make laws that impact us. See Figure 1.5.1.
Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): The Political System (CC BY 4.0, Alexa Johnson)
Using systems theory, we can study how political phenomena interact, how the parts of the system create the whole, and how the whole system impacts the parts. For example, whether we vote is based on our confidence in our abilities to understand politics and on our confidence that our votes make a meaningful difference. Political parties organize our thoughts, organize elections, and organize legislative politics. Effective leaders both follow and lead public opinion.
This text is organized according to systems theory. First, we will study the rules that organize the system: the California Constitution and federalism. The California Constitution organizes the relations among people, policymaking institutions, and policies. Federalism, established by the US Constitution and national law, situates California politics within the larger American context. Key court cases and laws about civil liberties and civil rights will also be discussed. Second, we will study how we actively involve ourselves in politics, developing our public opinion, voting, and joining interest groups and political parties. Third, we will examine policymaking institutions and focus on how to address current issues and challenges facing our state.
I welcome you to our study of California politics.
For Further Inquiry
Many excellent websites investigate contemporary California politics and policy. Survey two sites: Calmatters.org and the Public Policy Institute of California. Select one issue of interest to you. Evaluate the tradeoffs among political values when considering what is best to do regarding the issue. Consider liberty, equality, and order, considering how you define each value.
To ascertain your political ideology, find an online survey that will accurately pinpoint your political ideology after you answer quite a few questions. For example, the Pew Research Center survey is a good one. See their accompanying articles about political ideology, too. You will notice that they identify several more specific typologies than those discussed in this chapter. Do you believe that the survey accurately defined your ideology?
Go to the California Secretary of State's voter registration page to register to vote in California. You may also pre-register to vote if you are sixteen or seventeen. This will make you automatically able to vote when you turn eighteen. The deadline to register to vote is fifteen days before an election. However, you may vote with a provisional ballot on the day of the election, after which your residency is verified before your vote is counted. Did you find the process easy? How could it be improved?
Go to the Secretary of State of California website and examine some of the proposed ballot measures that proponents are promoting throughout the state. Some may be at the stage where signatures are being gathered by petitions. Others may have cleared this hurdle and be ready to be put on the ballot. Do you believe they belong on the ballot, or would they be better addressed by the legislature or judges? You may also want to look at some of the historical propositions for comparison.
