The Maddy Report- Reforming CA Part 1 (3 of 5)- Direct Democracy in CA

California has always led the way: in technology, education, jobs, and quality of life. But many see the state that once symbolized optimism has become dysfunctional and ungovernable: a failed state. In the 1970s, California's legislature was described as one of the finest in the world because of the expertise, diligence and collegiality exhibited by its members. The opinion of the legislature, however, has undergone a significant decline in the last 30 years. A recent poll found that 81 percent of voters disapproved of the legislature and that only 12 percent approved. Many point to the State's perennial budget crisis that, year after year, placed the state on the precipice of financial disaster as Exhibit A. The bottom line: California's credit rating has gone from AAA, the best there is, to A-, the worst among the 50 states and not much better than junk bond status. This, of course, has direct implications for the quality of life for all Californians. How did things go so terribly wrong? And what can be done to restore the California dream? In Part one of our two-part series on reforming California, we'll talk to the leaders of California Forward, a non-partisan organization whose goal is to "revive the California Dream and to turn our broken government into an efficient, effective body focused on performance, accountability and transparency. James Mayer, the Executive Director of California Forward and Pete Weber, Board Member of California Forward and one of the key leaders of the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley. We'll also talk to Nathan Monroe, Professor of Political Science at UC Merced, and an expert in legislative politics and political institutions about how government can deliver better results with better accountability, how to make the budget process more disciplined and focused so we only spend the money that we have and we spend it wisely and what are the key political reforms that would put the state back on track.

In the third section of Part 1 on Reforming California, the panel discusses Direct Democracy and the possible reforms to the initiative process.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Maddy
• Report
• 2011
• Reform
• California
• Initiatives
• Democracy
• Politics