The Newark Star-Ledger recently featured a quote from Professor Pitney in an article about how the economic crisis will play out in the presidential campaign. He surmises that opinions on the candidates and the economy will likely not come down to substance since neither candidate is likely to have a good answer in the short… Continue Reading
Author Archives: Rose Institute
Pitney on the Debates
Professor Pitney was recently quoted on the subject of the upcoming Presidential debates in the Marshal News Messenger. He suggests that the debate experiences of Ronald Reagan provide a learning tool for both side. When it comes to debates, both Obama and McCain can learn from Reagan, said John Pitney, a political scientist at Claremont… Continue Reading
Pitney on Presidential Politics and The Financial Crisis
Professor Pitney was recently quoted by Bloomberg News about how Senators McCain and Obama are reacting to the financial crisis and the congressional bail-out proposal. Obama and McCain each spoke at news conferences as Congress was debating the bailout plan in Washington. “Both Obama and McCain are suffering from event-whiplash,” said John Pitney, a political… Continue Reading
Professors' Opinion Piece in Support of Proposition 11
Two Bay Area political science professors recently wrote a joint opinion piece in the San Jose Mercury News in support of Proposition 11. They take a pragmatic perspective that the initiative will not be a panacea for uncompetitive elections, but that it should at least create more competitive elections than there are currently. We don’t… Continue Reading
Santa Cruz Sentinel Endorses Proposition 11
The Santa Cruz Sentinel recently wrote an editorial in support of Proposition 11. The Sentinel claims that future budget negotiations would gain from the increased number of competitive elections the initiative would provide. In the end, Democrats wanted to raise taxes and Republicans wanted to cut spending, and neither party was willing to suffer the… Continue Reading
PPIC Polls Releases New Polls Results
The Public Policy Institute of California has released its latest poll results, including state and national figures as well as the upcoming propositions. The Sacramento Bee’s Capitol Alert highlighted some of the numbers: Proposition 4 (Abortion notification) Yes: 48 percent No: 41 percent Proposition 8 (Gay marriage) Yes: 41 percent No: 55 percent Proposition 11… Continue Reading
Voter Registration and the “Obama Surge†in California
The California Secretary of State’s September 2008 report of voter registration figures for California show a remarkable change. The question is whether the “Obama Surge†will continue in California, or if a return to longer-term trends is more likely. Over the last eight years, the total number of “Decline to State†voters in California increased… Continue Reading
Frates on Special Districts
Dr. Frates was recently quoted in the Riverside Press-Enterprise about the lack of interest in special district elections. Steve Frates, a senior fellow with the Rose Institute of State and Local Government at Claremont McKenna College, said it is not unusual that special districts in unincorporated areas draw scant interest from potential candidates. Continue Reading
News/Editorials/Opinions on Redistricting from Mid-August to Mid-September
We’ve playing catch up with a lot of news, due to the beginning of the semester here at the colleges. Here’s a summary of some of the recent editorializing on redistricting, some of which we’ve linked to and some of which we might have missed. Opinion Pieces in Favor of Proposition 11 Kathay Feng, Executive… Continue Reading
Voters First Campaign Attempts to Appeal to Congressional Democrats
In a recent letter to California Congressional Democrats, the California Voters First Campaign, also known as Yes on Proposition 11, urges them to break with their party and support the measure. The letter says that Voters First intends to hold any politicians accountable for providing assistance to the campaign against Proposition 11. “As a proponent… Continue Reading