12.1: Introduction

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): The State Flag (public domain, Wikimedia)

Learning Objectives

• To explain how to engage in policy analysis.
• To examine the California state budget.
• To provide case studies of California public policy analysis and invite the reader to engage in their own research.

Introduction

Public policy analysis examines what governments do to address specific challenges. Much of political science describes, analyzes, and evaluates specific parts of the political system. Policy analysis animates the entire process of politics by pragmatically showing how all the parts interact.

An analogy may be helpful. Athletes may study the workings of the heart, lungs, and muscles, investigate the best nutritional strategies, and read about the rules and regulations of their preferred sports. But there is no substitute for actually playing the sport to apply all that has been learned. Practical knowledge illuminates theoretical knowledge.

It is the same with policy analysis. Follow a policy question through the maze of public opinion, voting, interest groups, parties, the media, debate in the legislature, approval by the governor, and possible consideration by the courts, and it is like understanding how a runner’s rigorous training led to a marathon victory. Thus, we synthesize many different strands of knowledge, leading us to a greater holistic understanding of California politics. Policy is the end product of government, after all of the inputs and processes.

This chapter begins by considering how to study public policy, arguing that political systems theory provides a way to consider the many different factors that explain the actions of government. Second, the California state budget provides a snapshot of our priorities; how we spend our money reveals quite a bit about what is important to us as a state. Next, this book extends an invitation to other scholars and students to contribute to our study of political science. I begin with a short analysis of how abortion became legal in California in 1969 with the court case of People v. Belous (1969). Then, Professor Brooke Collins contributes an analysis of how California is coping with the problem of hate speech.  Hate speech is protected by the First Amendment and so it is difficult for local government to reduce the expression of prejudice. Then students have been invited to contribute their own policy analyses regarding a myriad of topics of interest to them.  This section will be regularly updated as future students engage in new research.  Ultimately, one message of this book is to encourage all of us to become students of California politics and follow the important issues that shape our state's future.