PLSI 3428: California Politics

Purpose: to help other instructors teaching the same course

Common Course ID:  PLSI 3428
CSU Instructor Open Textbook Adoption Portrait

Abstract: This open textbook is being utilized in a poli1cal science course for undergraduate students by Dr. Michael Ault at California State University, Bakersfield. The open textbook provides a brief introduc1on to California Government and Politics. The main motivation to adopt an open textbook was lowering the cost to $0 for students in this required major course. Students access the open textbook from my Canvas course. I have extracted each chapter and I provide a PDF formated document for each chapter.

PLSI 3428: California Politics 
Brief Description of course highlights:  This course explores California’s political development, institutions, and policy debates through both a historical and contemporary lens. We will examine the state’s constitutional foundations, political culture, and unique direct democracy system. We will trace major political and demographic shift, and analyze how California’s leadership in areas like policy, technology, and immigration often positions it in open contrast (and sometimes outright conflict) with other U.S. states and the federal government. Catalog copy is located here: https://catalog.csub.edu/course-descriptions/plsi/ 

Student population:  The course is a required course for our majors, and students from other disciplines take the course as well. Also, students who might have completed their American Institutions General Education requirement in Dual Immersion or out of state are also required to take the course due to the state requirements of California Politics. The prerequisites are: At least 45 units and completion of LD Area D and PLSI 1018 or PPA 2008.

Using AI, I was able to summarize the demographics and backgrounds of the students in the course based on their Welcome and Introduction assignment the first week:

“The course is composed of a diverse student body, including juniors, seniors, and transfer students majoring in a range of subjects such as political science, biology, and history. Many students express a keen interest in understanding California's political system and how it impacts their daily lives. While some students hold strong political leanings, either left or right, others aim to maintain a more balanced perspective, gathering information from various sources like social media, traditional news outlets, and podcasts. Overall, the class appears eager to learn more about California politics and how it intersects with their personal experiences and career goals.” ChatGPT Summary generated October 29, 2025.

Learning or student outcomes:  By the end of this course, students will be able to:

1. Explain the historical and institutional foundations of California’s political system, including its constitution, separation of powers, and tradition of direct democracy.
2. Analyze the interaction between state and federal authority, identifying how California’s policies both challenge and complement national governance.
3. Evaluate the causes and consequences of demographic and cultural change in shaping California’s political behavior and public policy.
4. Interpret the role of economic transformation—from agriculture and defense to the technology and energy sectors—in influencing California’s political and policy development.
5. Assess key policy debates surrounding immigration, housing, homelessness, environmental regulation, and resource management, especially within the Central Valley.
6.  Apply comparative and historical perspectives to connect California’s political evolution with broader national and global trends.
7. Critically engage with current political conflicts—such as redistricting, partisanship, and inter-state policy clashes—using evidence from historical and contemporary sources.
8. Demonstrate informed civic understanding and analytical skills through written, oral, and visual projects that connect theory, data, and current events in California politics.

Syllabus and/or Sample assignment from the course or the adoption: 
-  Interest Groups - The Scene of Influence.docx
-  Field Report #1.docx

Textbook or OER/Low cost Title: Introduction to California Government and Politics (Reti) 

Brief Description:  This book serves as an introduction to California politics, designed for students new to political science. It emphasizes helping students better understand their own perspectives, understanding state politics, and encouraging an inquiry- based approach. The structure covers political fundamentals, citizen participation, governmental branches, and public policy, enriched with case studies.

Please provide a link to the resource  https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Political_Science_and_Civics/ Introduction_to_California_Government_and_Politics_(Reti)

Authors: Steven Reti

Student access:   Students access the open textbook from my Canvas course. I have extracted each chapter and I provide a PDF format document for each chapter. 

Provide the cost savings from that of a traditional textbook. Since the book is free and OpenSource, I no longer use the textbook, California Government Today (Pearson), which costs $56.88.

License*: All licenses found:
-  CC BY 4.ti: 92.8% (128 pages)
-  Undeclared: 7.2% (1ti pages)

OER/Low Cost Adoption Process

Provide an explanation or what motivated you to use this textbook or OER/Low Cost option. I wanted to save students money on their textbooks, as well as cultivate my own resources for the course.

How did you find and select the open textbook for this course?  I consulted with our Association’s sources of OER resources and conducted my own web searches.

Sharing Best Practices:   The sustainability of open education relies on sharing with others. Please give suggestions for faculty who are just getting started with OER or Low-Cost options. List anything you wish that you had known earlier.

These resources are an excellent way to introduce students to material as well as providing them with a free resource that does not create burdens or barriers for lower- income students.

Describe any key challenges you experienced, how they were resolved  and lessons learned.  The experience has largely been positive both for me, the instructor, as well as the students. I am using the book for the second time, and I will be surveying the students on the course materials at the end of this semester.

Instructor Name - Dr. Michael Ault

I am a political science professor at California State University, Bakersfield.
Please provide a link to your university page. https://www.csub.edu/~mault/CSUB/__Home__.html

Please describe the courses/course numbers that you teach.
PLSI 1018: American Government and Politics
PLSI 3010: Sophomore/Junior Research Methods Experience (Research Methods I)
PLSI 328: Media, Propaganda, and Public Opinion
PHIL/PLSI 3030: Political Philosophy/Thought
PLSI 3150: American Political Philosophy
PLSI 380: Research Methods II (older catalog)
PLSI 481: Directed Research (Research Methods III older catalog)
PLSI 3770: Special Topics
PLSI 317: The Presidency
Older Catalog
PLSI 320: Social Movements and Political Power
PLSI 477: Voices of Dissent
PLSI 477: The Politics of Novel and Film
PLSI 477: CSUB Travel and Study: Vietnam and Cambodia

Describe your teaching philosophy and any research interests related to your discipline or teaching  I am the author or co-author of articles appearing in American Politics Research, The British Journal of Political Science, International Area Studies Review, and Peace Review: A Journal of Social Justice. I was also an invited co-editor for a special edition of Peace Review dedicated to “Subcultures and Political Resistance.” I have contributed chapters to Food Policy in International Context; Reason, Reflection and Analysis: An Introduction to Political Science; and The Eye of the Storm.

I have worked as a Principal Author, Co-Principal Investigator, and Research Analyst (and twice as a Composer/Director/artist/DJ under the pseudonym The Phim Project) for community-based organizing, fundraising, and applied research projects in Massachusetts, Kenya, and California. I have also been the lead on Travel and Study Abroad Program to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand where I led 17 students on a two week travel and study program.

I serve on the International Board of Directors for Touching Lives International, an extended grass-roots, non-profit project located in Mombasa, Nairobi, and Kimilili, Kenya, addressing AIDS, orphans, breast cancer awareness, and education issues. Under my supervision, several former CSUB students have held graduate-level internships in Kenya with Amina Ridhwani, the Founder and Chairwoman of Touching Lives International.

In addition to my graduate work, I have also studied at the European Consortium for Political Research in Social Science in Essex, England, and the Ashtanga Research Institute in Mysore, India. I received a Ph.D. from the University of North Texas, a Master’s degree from the University of Dallas (political philosophy), and two B.A. degrees from CSU, San Bernardino (economics and political science).