Highlights from the California in the New Millennium Panel Discussion
Jesse Bluma at Pointe Viven. All rights reserved.
True civic work is about discovering others who share curiosity about the world and a desire to be of service. These serendipitous moments allow you to work out old problems and view community challenges through entirely new perspectives. It was a pleasure to present at the Western Political Science Association Conference at the Long Beach Hilton Hotel, in Long Beach, California. As a panel discussant, I analyzed Professor Mark Baldassare’s book California in the New Millennium: The Changing Social and Political Landscape.
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| Visit Amazon to purchase your copy of California in the New Millennium: The Changing Social and Political Landscape. |
The Western Political Science Association (WPSA), headquartered at Portland State University, does more than study abstract ideas; it weaves the worlds together. Since its inception, the WPSA has grown from a localized gathering into a powerhouse of civic scholarship, proving that when we cultivate curiosity and evidence-based discussion, the primary beneficiaries are professors, students, citizens, and communities.
The WPSA treats this vast expanse as a cohesive intellectual conference. By gathering experts from fourteen states and three provinces, the association views the West as a shared region rather than a divided map. This geographic mix is essential for the association’s research. Scholars collaborate on regional challenges from water rights and migration to cross-border trade.
The Long Beach Conference was a great experience for myself, the other graduate students selected for the panel, our professor, Dr. Donald Mattewson, and the author, Professor Mark Baldasarre. My presentation looked closely at Professor Baldasare’s claims and evidence through the lens of John Locke.
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| Purchase your copy of John Locke's Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration on Amazon. |
The basis of Lockean philosophy is the social contract. The will of the majority must prevail. Although, power is not an absolute license to dominate. In a true state, the validity of the majority’s command is tethered to a single, unyielding standard: equality. Laws must apply to everyone, everywhere, at all times. If the executive power fails to provide the conditions under which the people can enjoy these natural rights, the contract is voided.
In the landscape of American political theater, the seat of power can be the local electorate that provides the mandate or a distant executive acting as a strategic arbiter. For decades, Orange County, California has projected a dual identity. To the world, it is the "Magic Kingdom", a curated land of artifice and suburban prosperity. Yet, beneath this polished veneer is political history defined by the 1994 bankruptcy, and the protracted, bitter regional warfare over the El Toro airport. This friction culminated in a masterclass of political communication. By framing a partisan vacancy battle as a crusade for voter rights, local leaders transformed a dry procedural update into a defensive shield and a rebellion designed to insulate local power from the reach of the state capital.
As Professor Baldassare noted, the local appetite for autonomy was a direct byproduct of a crisis of trust. This was a compounding series of leadership failures ranging from the national trauma of Watergate to the immediate local wounds of the county bankruptcy and the El Toro airport dispute. When paired with the state’s energy crisis and a ballooning deficit, these events created a climate that mirrored the warnings of 17th-century (1600s) philosopher John Locke. Locke posited that when government actions become "contrary to the trust" of the people, the social contract is breached.
"[Government actions that are] contrary to the trust [placed in government officials and] destructive to the peace of the county [justify a reclamation of power by the people]." In this context, Orange County voters sought to reclaim the ultimate control over their government, viewing the ballot box as the only reliable arbiter of peace and order.
This victory successfully relocated the power of appointment from the Governor’s office in Sacramento to the local primary ballot. However, as we look back, we are forced to confront persistent questions: Does the pursuit of autonomy solve the underlying crisis of trust in our elected officials, public administrators, and corporate elites? Does it merely move the battlefield closer to home, replacing state-level interference with localized partisan gatekeeping?
Under the guidance of Dr. Matthewson, our cohort of graduate students from California State University Fullerton, didn't simply summarize Baldassare’s thesis and evidence. We analyzed his claims through our background knowledge, experience, political philosophy, and other contemporary authors. The synthesis was striking. By bridging these topics, we found the tools to understand present issues and steps to address them.
The work of the Western Political Science Association represents the vital link between academics and the health of our communities. Since 1948, the WPSA has evolved from a traditional regional gathering into a digital-first leader. Through virtual workshops and its biannual newsletter, The Western, the association facilitates a year-round, global conversation that transcends the limitations of an annual meeting.
This evolution is not just about convenience; it is about the integrity of information. The peer-review process facilitated by these digital and in-person networks serves as a critical bulwark against the rising tide of misinformation. By subjecting new findings to the scrutiny of experts and publishers, the WPSA ensures that the political understanding reaching the public is built on a foundation of verified evidence.
The inquiry sparked at a WPSA conference has a powerful ripple effect. It flows from the panel discussion into the college classroom, and finally, into the public discourse of our towns and cities. When an educator returns from a workshop with fresh insights on electoral reform or community organizing, they aren't just teaching a syllabus; they are training the next generation of problem-solvers.
This network serves as a reminder that civic scholarship is an active, collaborative pursuit. It is the practice of leveraging geographic perspectives to understand the places we live with greater clarity. By prioritizing evidence and curiosity, we gain a clearer, more holistic view of our future.
The WPSA proves that when curiosity is cultivated through evidence-based discussion, it "weaves the worlds together"—specifically, the world of academic theory and the world of practical community life. It represents a vital pipeline of mentorship for scholars to engage directly with graduate students, who in turn bring fresh, rigorous analysis to the public square. The beneficiaries of this synergy are the communities who receive the benefits of policies informed by deep evidence rather than political whim.
Participation in conferences cultivated our research skills as graduate students and the knowledge of others in attendance. The ultimate byproduct of this academic networking is a citizenry that is better equipped to navigate the complexities of public life. When specialized research is translated into actionable knowledge, it empowers the community to move from being passive spectators of civics life to active, informed participants.
Bibliography
About Us, www.wpsanet.org/about-us.
Baldassare, Mark. California in the New Millennium: The Changing Social and Political Landscape. University of California Press.
Bluma, Jesse. “Baldassare, Locke, and the 2002 California Primary: Distrust in the Commonwealth.”
Google NotebookLM
“Minutes Western Political Science Association Annual Membership Business Meeting.” Western Political Science Association.
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