California Government and Citizen Participation

California Government and Citizen Empowerment: The WikiWay
Wikibooks Textbook now in progress at http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/California_Public_Policy_and_Citizen_Participation

A highly condensed, "take no prisoners" approach to winning public policy conflict using the power of collaborative media. This course is anticipated to be ready for classroom use for Spring of 2012 and will feature a case study on Diablo Canyon Power Plant relicensing issues. See also at Wikibooks Aftermath: Diablo Nuclear Redux?

Pragmatic * Non-partisan * Non-ideological
GROUND RULES: While this is entirely non-partisan, there is no obligation on the part of anyone to assist anyhone else with any project, agenda or political issue.What this means is that anyone grinding a political axe, pushing an agenda or a POV, may not find much support here unless they free their mind of fixed ideas, develop empathic listening skills and open their mind to re-examine the assumptions which constrain their creativity and imagination.

Please follow the very best Wikimedia Foundation etiquette at all times.

How to use this class
Identify what issue concerns you. Create a draft chapter for California Public Policy and Citizen Participation. Identify the key constituencies on both sides of the issue. Identify the decisionmakers: members of Congress, your Board of Supervisors, City Council or the state assembly.
 * Who is the staff person assigned to that issue?
 * What citizen boards, commissions and committees exist which are concerned with that issue?
 * When and where do public meetings of those bodies occur? Where is their agenda posted?
 * Are there current or pending vacancies on those bodies? How and when are those vacancies filled
 * Identify pending legislation which affects your issue.
 * Determine which committees are concerned with that legislation, even if the members of the committee are from outside of your district.
 * Identify allies who are in their district and connect with them.

Online text
California Public Policy and Citizen Participation|California Public Policy and Citizen Participation|California Public Policy and Citizen Participation]http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/California_Public_Policy_and_Citizen_Participation

Tobacco war: Inside the California Battles
By Stanton A. Glantz, Edith D. Balbach Using selections currently available on Google Books.

Course Curriculum
Cluster I: Unique Aspects of California


 * Lesson 1: /What makes California Different for Community Activists/?
 * Lesson 2: /The Brown Act: Your Right to Know, Your Right to Speak Truth to Power/
 * Lesson 3: /Initiatives: The Good the Bad and the Ugly/

Cluster II: Public Agencies and Citizen Participation


 * Lesson 4: /Agency Agendas and Public Comment: Taking Back Government for the People/
 * Lesson 5: /Case Study:  Establishment of Marine Protection Areas/
 * Lesson 6: /Case Study: Proposition 99 - Tobacco 1988/ (Check first for examples)
 * Lesson 7:  /California Coastal Commission/