Have you ever tried to answer a question like “Why did Prop 13 make such a difference to schools?” or “What’s the difference between a charter city and a general law city anyway and why does it matter?”

The 15th edition of a Guide to California Government that the League of Women Voters has been publishing for more than fifty years can answer those questions and a lot more. The print edition is set to roll out in September and an e-edition is scheduled for the fall.

We’ve tried to make this edition accessible for all California voters.
• We’ve broken the material into smaller chunks that are easier to read
• We’ve integrated a lot of cool infographics that make clear some of the complicated structures of California government.
• We’ve put icons in the margins so information is easier to find
• We’ve included URLs so readers can find updates and background on the topics covered

The Guide starts by giving the logistics of voting and elections and how our ballot measure system works.
Then we cover the three branches of government
• Legislative
• Executive
• Judicial
Other levels of government are covered—counties, cities, and special districts. We have a chapter on finances—how the state gets money and how it spends it and a chapter on the education system and how it functions. We’ll have an index, a glossary, and a list of agencies and acronyms that are useful in contacting state government

High schools and colleges will find the book useful as a text or supplemental reading for students who are new voters. Members of the League of Women Voters and other organizations will be able to use it for background on state elections and ballot measures.

You might want to pick up a copy for yourself so you can win all the arguments with your spouse or friends. Or you could give a copy as a back-to-school gift for your teenage children or grandchildren. Or for new citizens or neighbors who have moved here from another state. And it is available now on amazon.com. Either in print or as an e-book, it’s an all-purpose gift for lots of people. Maybe at last we’ll all understand how California government functions.