Kevin Starr, the State Librarian of California, has written extensively about California history, including the history of California political action. In doing so, he has also suggested certain attitudes toward politics and political action on the part of different Californians and on his own part as well. Power in political terms can be defined as the ability to get something accomplished, whether that be positive or negative (which means it can also be the ability to stop someone else from getting something accomplished). Political power is sought by every politically oriented group in society. It is clear from recent political battles that these elements often clash and that there is considerable argument over how much power each wields. In his book Endangered Dreams, Starr examines the political actions taken during the Great Depression in California, an era of tension in which the dichotomy between liberal and conservative was seen by some as an issue of patriotism. Some saw liberals as incipient reds and opposed such things as unionization or the New Deal policies intended to address the problems of the Depression. Others saw Conservatives as tied to old concepts or as inimical to the working class citizen. Starr's depiction of this era suggests a view of political action as either working or not according to whether the two sides can be brought together.
Erwin Chemerinsky and Jackie Dupont-Walker suggest a political paradigm in their article on charter reform for the City of Los Angeles. The issue of charter reform in the city has been divisive. The issue has been studied and argued fro over a year, and yet it is noted that there is still no consensus on any important issue. The rhetoric became more heated as groups came one after another to public hearings by the charter commission, arguing for their point of view and threatening to kill the process if their point of view was not heeded. The authors suggest how...