Book excerpt: This brief and inexpensive best-seller has now been updated to include complete coverage of the 2006 election, the campaign results, and the most relevant and important issues and events that have captured the headlines and dialogue in California throughout 2005 and 2006. This lively text offers a unique approach to California government that blends political data with economic, cultural, and demographic trends, and analyzes the link between the economy and the political process. California Government and Politics Today is written by a college professor who is also an elected official in California, offering a unique insider's view that will engage and inform students. This updated edition continues the book's tradition of encouraging political activism and developing the reader's own unique political views.