California Politics: A Primer

by Renee B. Van Vechten

Underscoring the essentials, Van Vechten′s concise text delivers on the concepts and details students need to understand how California′s political system works. The thoroughly revised second edition retains all the strengths of the first edition.

Genres: Textbooks, Read For School

168 pages, Paperback

First published November 22, 2011

Reviews

[Hibah · Rating 3 out of 5]

solid

[Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much what the title says: a primer on California politics. The author does a pretty good job in providing an overview of the political system in California, from its history to political parties and engagement to the structure of government at the state and local level. It's a short and quick read, although I admit I had trouble reading it since it's a textbook and I finished school not that long ago.

Not only do we look at the government structure, but the author takes us through the budget process, how a bill gets passed and the political landscape as it stands when the book was published in 2011.
The chapters are relatively short, although I'll admit my eyes glazed over the further I got into the book. This isn't a fault of the author at all--I think she made this as readable as one could.

If you have to read this book or are curious about California's political history, I would urge you to pick up this book and keep it as a reference. I personally wouldn't consider it summer reading, but it's a good book on hand if you aren't familiar with the state.

[Jon De · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear, concise, and to the point.