The Political Economy of California

Edited by Bill Barclay, Peg Strobel, Chris Sturr, and the Dollars & Sense Collective

The Political Economy of California cover
Date of publication:
December 2024
ISBN:
978-1-939402-94-3
Pages:
222
Price:
$35.50


A Dollars & Sense first—an entire book devoted to California, the most populous state in the United States and the fifth-largest economy in the world. From the redwoods of the north to the sparkling waters of the south, from the highest peak to the lowest elevation in the contiguous United States, the state has captured the imagination of its residents and drawn visitors from across the country and the globe for decades.

But what is the actual California? The state is full of challenges—and potential. Where will the water come from for its growing population? How can the state meet the needs of the large number of union members and the demands of the billionaires that cluster in the Bay Area and Los Angeles? The Silicon Valley-led development of AI points to a future—but which Californians will benefit from the promise of that future? Can the state remain a leader in the fight to stem climate change while being a major global center of water-intensive agriculture?

This reader brings together D&S/i> authors who wrestle with these questions and more as they explore the state’s political economy at the regional, national, and global levels.

“As textbooks become more conservative and less topical, I find that Dollars & Sense readers and books are more useful than ever in my undergraduate classes. They are jargon-free, up-to-date, and inexpensive—as well as consistently and thoughtfully progressive. I recommend them highly.”

ROBIN HAHNEL, Portland State University

“I have been using Dollars & Sense publications for nearly 20 years. I find them absolutely necessary for students to understand progressive, critical, real-world perspectives that are sorely absent from mainstream texts and readers. These magnificently clear and relevant articles open many students’ eyes and cause others to reexamine their adopted views.”

—GEORGE JOUGANATOS, California State University, Sacramento