The purpose of this article is to broaden understanding of the state’s political life and give a voice to residents who are directly affected by the decisions of the authorities, or their lack thereof.
From a year of change to an era of Democratic dominance
1998 was a turning point in California’s political history.
For most of the 20th century, Republicans dominated the state, with iconic governors such as Hiram Johnson, Earl Warren, and Ronald Reagan.
When Gray Davis won the 1998 election and became governor, he was the first Democrat in 20 years to hold the office and only the fourth in the entire century. But it was his victory that marked the beginning of a new political era: over the following decades, Democrats established almost complete dominance in all branches of government — from the governor and legislative bodies to the state’s federal delegation in Congress.
Even though many local elections in California are formally non-partisan, Democrats gained a majority in city councils, school districts, and county supervisory boards, while the Republican Party and its voter base shrank to historic lows.
Democrats are moving to the left, Republicans to the right
Over time, the Democratic Party has not only strengthened its position, but has also shifted to the left. So much so that in 2016, it refused to support Senator Dianne Feinstein, one of the most experienced politicians in the country, for re-election, preferring the more progressive Kevin de León.
Today, the California legislature is dominated by self-proclaimed progressives who work closely with Governor Gavin Newsom, who is considered the most left-wing governor in the state’s history. Together, they are promoting ambitious initiatives that, according to Newsom, “can serve as an example to the whole world.”
Newsom often engages in public spats with governors of other states, such as Florida and Texas, which, in contrast to California, have shifted to the right in recent years.
Polarization is not unique to California
While political scientists continue to debate the reasons for such a sharp shift in California politics over the past 25 years, new research shows that this phenomenon is not limited to one state.
Polarization at the federal level is evident: Congress is almost evenly divided between extreme left-wing Democrats and extreme right-wing Republicans. But now scientists have discovered that similar processes are taking place in state legislatures.
Researchers Boris Shor (University of Houston) and Nolan McCarthy (Princeton University) compiled a large database of votes and political positions of legislators to track the growing ideological distance between the parties.
They found that the former areas of overlap — points where bipartisan cooperation was still possible — have virtually disappeared. Democrats are moving further to the left, Republicans to the right, and in some states, such as California, the dominance of one party has become almost absolute.
The West is the most polarized region of the country
“Western states are the most polarized and are polarizing faster than any other region,” the researchers write. “The South has long been the least polarized, but in recent years it has been catching up quickly with other regions and in 2007 surpassed the Northeast, which shows the lowest level of polarization growth.”
According to the study, all 99 state legislatures in the US have a clear party divide. In 88 of them, the gap between Democrats and Republicans continues to widen.
Unsurprisingly, California is among the leaders of this alarming process.
“The five most polarized states in 2020 are Colorado, California, Arizona, Texas, and Washington,” the report says.
“California held the top spot for a long time, but in 2017, Colorado surpassed it.”
Why is this happening?
Overall, Shore and McCarthy concluded that the increase in polarization at the state level is due more to the Democrats’ shift to the left than to the Republicans’ shift to the right — unlike the situation in Congress, where it is the Republican Party that has shifted sharply to the right.
However, the authors admit that there is no single explanation:
“We haven’t found a ‘smoking gun’ — a single main cause. It probably doesn’t exist.”
