UC Davis experts: The California recall

The UC Davis faculty has a broad expertise regarding the California gubernatorial recall.

Politics

• Personalizing politics
• Voter confusion
• California politics
• How diversity will affect the vote
• Chicanos and the vote

Leadership

• The Terminator's appeal
• Gubernatorial promise
• Legitimacy and trustworthiness

Legal aspects

• Election law
• Constitutional law

Polling technical issues

• Electronic voting

History

• The progressive legacy

POLITICS

Personalizing politics

The recall election plays into the myth that politics is a matter of good guys and bad guys, says Walter Stone, chair and professor of the UC Davis Department of Political Science. "California's governmental problems are structural," Stone says, pointing out that the person elected to replace Davis will face the same structural impediments. Stone can talk about how the election has raised high expectations for change and will result in subsequent deep disappointments by the voters. An expert in how people decide to be candidates for the House of Representatives, Stone is co-director of the Candidate Emergence Study, which is increasing the understanding of the electoral process. Contact: Walter Stone, Political Science, (530) 752-0976, wstone@ucdavis.edu.

Voter confusion

The Byzantine nature of the California political structure offers plenty of opportunities for the recall effort to misfire, says UC Davis political science professor Robert Huckfeldt. He can comment on public opinion, participation and voting in the upcoming gubernatorial recall. He is especially concerned with the dynamics of political communication and deliberation among citizens. He is the author of several books, including "Race and the Decline of Class in American Politics" and "Citizens, Politics, and Social Communication." Contact: Robert Huckfeldt, Political Science, (530) 752-0975, rhuckfeldt@ucdavis.edu.

California politics

Edmond Costantini, UC Davis professor emeritus of political science, specializes in political parties and public opinion, particularly in regards to Californian electoral politics. He can discuss the recall election as well as the prospects for Democrats, Republicans and Gov. Davis. Costantini was program adviser to the Political Campaign Management Institute, which for nearly two decades was offered each July through UC Davis Extension. Contact: Edmond Costantini, Political Science, (530) 752-0974 office, (530) 756-2009 home, (530) 659-7477, Lake Tahoe cabin, egcostantini@ucdavis.edu.

How diversity will affect the vote

Ben Highton, UC Davis assistant professor of political science, researches voter turnout. Co-author of "How Race, Ethnicity and Immigration Shape the California Electorate," he can discuss how the state's demography will likely affect the recall, including rate of turnout. Highton has studied the trends that show that even though they are declining as a proportion of the electorate, whites will continue to make up a majority of the voters. Contact: Ben Highton, Political Science, (530) 752-0970, bhighton@ucdavis.edu.

Chicanos and the vote

With Chicano politician Cruz Bustamante the first Democrat to put his hat in the ring, Chicanos have a reason to go to the polls, says UC Davis labor and health economist Adela de la Torre. Director of the Chicana/o Studies Program at UC Davis, De la Torre can talk about a range of issues regarding the Latino vote in this recall. She can also talk about the influence of the California Legislature's Chicano Caucus on the recall politics. Contact: Adela de la Torre (Spanish speaker), Chicana/o Studies, adelatorre@ucdavis.edu. After Aug. 24, she will also be available by phone, (530) 752-3904.

LEADERSHIP

The Terminator's appeal

Arnold Schwarzenegger's on-screen persona as a strong, masculine leader will help the actor woo California voters, says UC Davis American studies professor Jay Mechling, who studies the construction of masculinity and pop culture. He can talk about the cultural and historic reasons why a Hollywood actor would be seen as a serious political candidate. Mechling, an expert on men in American culture, published his book "On My Honor: The Boy Scouts and American Culture" in 2001. Contact: Jay Mechling, American Studies, jemechling@ucdavis.edu. He will be available by phone after Sept. 1 at (510) 865-8858 home, (530) 752-9043 office.

Gubernatorial promise

What does it take to be the California governor? Dean Simonton, the author of the books, "Why Presidents Succeed," and "Greatness: Who Makes History and Why" can offer some insights into leadership qualities. Simonton is a psychology professor who studies genius, creativity and leadership -- the cognitive, personality, developmental and socio-cultural factors behind exceptional personal influence and historical eminence. Contact: Dean Simonton, Psychology, (530) 752-1677, dksimonton@ucdavis.edu.

Legitimacy and trustworthiness

Associate Professor Kim Elsbach of the Graduate School of Management researches how organizations and individuals acquire and maintain images, identities and reputations -- especially images of legitimacy and trustworthiness. "People in Western society do not like inconsistency in their leaders," says the associate professor. "It's what gets a lot of leaders tripped up." Contact: Kim Elsbach, Graduate School of Management, (530) 752-0910, kdelsbach@ucdavis.edu.

LEGAL ASPECTS

Election law

Law professor Floyd Feeney specializes in election law and initiatives. He is co-author of two books on initiatives, "Lawmaking by Initiative: Issues, Options and Comparisons" and "Improving the California Initiative Process: Options for Change." He also teaches election law. Contact: Floyd Feeney, School of Law, (530) 752-2893, fffeeney@ucdavis.edu. Returns Aug. 25.

Constitutional law

Professor Alan Brownstein of the UC Davis School of Law is an expert in federal constitutional law including the First Amendment issues of ballot access and the right to vote. He is commenting on recall issues related to the federal Constitution. Brownstein is a member of the legal committee of the Northern California American Civil Liberties Union. Contact: Alan Brownstein, School of Law, (530) 752-2586, aebrownstein@ucdavis.edu.

POLLING TECHNICAL ISSUES

Electronic voting

Matthew Franklin, professor of computer science at UC Davis and an expert in cryptography, can discuss computer security and privacy issues related to electronic voting and campaign finance reform. An electronic voting scheme has to make it impossible to match a vote cast to a voter, while allowing voters to plausibly claim that they voted for any candidate. A scheme of this type has already been tested in an election in Sweden, Franklin said. Franklin and Thomas Sander of InterTrust Technologies, Santa Clara, Calif., have proposed a cryptographic scheme for anonymous political donations, on the principle that if candidates did not know who donors were, they could not sell access or influence. At the same time, anyone could say they had donated money, so nobody could be coerced into giving. Contacts: Matthew Franklin, Computer Science, (530) 752-2017, franklin@cs.ucdavis.edu.

HISTORY

The progressive legacy

Eric Rauchway, an associate professor of history at UC Davis, specializes in the Progressive Era that brought about the California voters' ability to recall the governor. He can talk about the unintended consequences from that history, intent of the early 20th century reforms and how they relate to the present recall election. A frequent contributor on American politics and history for the Financial Times of Great Britain, Rauchway is author of "Murdering McKinley: The Making of Theodore Roosevelt's America" (2003) and "The Refuge of Affections: Family and American Reform Politics, 1900-1920" (2001). Contact Eric Rauchway, History, (530) 752-6380, earauchway@ucdavis.edu.

Media contacts:

• Claudia Morain, News Service, (530) 752-9841, cmmorain@ucdavis.edu

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