If you look at the graph on page 6, The CA Dems are the furthest to left of any State and the CA GOP is the furthest to the right of any State, except Texas and Oklahoma.
Though the other axis of the graph shows that CA voters are actually …
If you look at the graph on page 6, The CA Dems are the furthest to left of any State and the CA GOP is the furthest to the right of any State, except Texas and Oklahoma.
Though the other axis of the graph shows that CA voters are actually further left and and further right than their lawmakers! Hence your perception that legislature is moderate.
I would question the methodology being applied here. Oftentimes this is a measurement of legislation being proposed. If the legislature is only proposing moderate reforms, and the Republicans in the state are reflexively opposing them for strategic reasons, it would skew the analysis completely.
As someone who lives in the state, I can assure you that the Democratic politicians here skew moderate.
While I agree that rollcall votes can be a somewhat limited measure of ideology, (looking at bills introduced or sponsored tends to be more reliable,) "reflexively opposing [all bills] for strategic reasons" is a sign of a polarized legislature. That does not happen in Massachusetts, where I live. Even though the Republicans are in a deep minority, they work together with the majority on legislation.
Statistical measures of polarization has California quite high. For example:
https://research.bshor.com/publication/polarization_2decades/polarization_2decades.pdf
If you look at the graph on page 6, The CA Dems are the furthest to left of any State and the CA GOP is the furthest to the right of any State, except Texas and Oklahoma.
Though the other axis of the graph shows that CA voters are actually further left and and further right than their lawmakers! Hence your perception that legislature is moderate.
California legislature: Extremely polarized
California voters: Even more polarized
I would question the methodology being applied here. Oftentimes this is a measurement of legislation being proposed. If the legislature is only proposing moderate reforms, and the Republicans in the state are reflexively opposing them for strategic reasons, it would skew the analysis completely.
As someone who lives in the state, I can assure you that the Democratic politicians here skew moderate.
While I agree that rollcall votes can be a somewhat limited measure of ideology, (looking at bills introduced or sponsored tends to be more reliable,) "reflexively opposing [all bills] for strategic reasons" is a sign of a polarized legislature. That does not happen in Massachusetts, where I live. Even though the Republicans are in a deep minority, they work together with the majority on legislation.