Two California Political Data Experts Question Conventional Wisdom about California’s Top-Two Experience So Far

The Washington Post has this column by Eric McGhee and Paul Mitchell, questioning whether California’s top-two system has changed California state government. McGhee is a political scientist with Public Policy Institute of California, and Paul Mitchell is an analyst for Political Data, California’s largest provider of data about voters. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.


Comments

Two California Political Data Experts Question Conventional Wisdom about California’s Top-Two Experience So Far — No Comments

  1. Attention all math MORONS —

    half the votes in half the PACK/CRACK RIGGED gerrymander districts is about 25 percent ANTI-Democracy minority rule.

    The CA gerrymander commission and the top 2 primary were both EVIL fraudulent *reforms* used by the communist Donkeys in the CA regime to get *permanent* Donkey control of the regime

    — using the expert math morons in the various gangs.
    ——
    P.R. and nonpartisan App.V.

  2. Why are the public sector unions so opposed to Top 2?

    At worst, McGhee and Mitchell are arguing that it make no practical difference in the composition of the legislature.

    So we have on the one hand, an opportunity for all voters to vote for their candidate of choice in the primary vs. the public-sector unions having less control.

    It is also too early to determine the effect. Most senators who were elected by legislatures were re-elected by the the People after passage of the 17th Amendment. Would any political scientist seriously argue that the 17th Amendment has had no effect, 100 years on.

  3. Saying the on time budget is a result of the top two primary is like saying the rooster made the sun rise. The real impact was that elections have become that much more expensive, parties are discouraging too many candidates from running to avoid splitting the vote, and third parties will be destroyed.

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