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This thesis attempts to ascertain whether Upton Sinclair's Democratic nomination for governor of California in 1934 caused the resurgence of the Democratic Party in California, or whether his nomination was a product of that party's resurgence between 1928 and 1942. Given Sinclair's decision on the unsuitability of the Socialist Party, were his judgments that: (1) the Democratic Party was in resurgence and, (2) it was moving to the left, sound ones? To make these determinations the thesis investigates why Sinclair rushed to capture the Democratic nomination, exploring his methods and techniques and those used to defeat him. It also examines the reactions of the Democratic Party leaders of the right and left wings toward the Sinclair candidacy, and analyzes the primary and general.election returns -- citing differences and similarities between Northern and Southern California -- which predicate that Sinclair's decision was: (I) based on faulty judgement, and (2) based on an inaccurate appraisal of the position of the Democratic Party.

California began with an Indian society which was station and provincial. From this territory Spanish invaders, seeking adventure and wealth, erected an outpost which was someday to be- A come the empire of the West." The short period of Mexican domination influenced by Spanish tradition brought a change in this empire. The search for gold, the search for new homes and ad- venture, ended the life of the sleepy province. The annexation of California to the United States meant a new life and new problems for many. Through her people and through their willing- ness to fight for their honor and their welfare, California gradually became one of the most important states in the Union.

In 1980, Ronald Reagan became the fortieth president of the United States following an election that was said to have presaged a political turn to the right in that country. This thesis identifies three broad historical themes that characterised the period in the immediate aftermath of the 1980 election. Firstly, there was the notion that the voting public was becoming more conservative in its choices in federal politics. This is tested by looking at voter behaviour in the 1982 midterm elections. Secondly, the idea that the liberal-conservative dialectic was becoming less important in United States politics is examined using as a framework the actions and statements of prominent liberals. Thirdly, the thesis examines the accuracy of prognoses that were being made about liberalism as a viable political entity in the wake of the 1980 elections. These themes are examined via a series of parallel, occasionally overlapping narratives, following the main strands of liberal activity and thought in one state California in the early 1980s. Many of the sources used were derived from commentary that was being made as events unfolded. The debate about the meaning of the 1980 election therefore changes and this change is part of the story told here. Answering some questions also involved using source material that was more reflective. Hence, parts of the thesis are historiographical. Despite its political content, this thesis is a work of history. It examines the drama of men and women acting within their time, bound by the world around them, but also trying to change that world.

California has been traditionally a Republican state, yet the Republicans have been unable to regain their traditional dominance since their defeat in 1958. The 1958 election represented a fundamental shift in the nature of California politics. More than that, the defeat of the Republicans pointed up a fundamental weakness in the Republican party.

This thesis examines the factors affecting the outcome of the 1948 presidential election. The factors which will be take up are not a complete list of all those influences on the election but will be those which appeared most frequently in writings on the subject and those which, in the writer's opinion, exerted the strongest influence. By combining specific studies of the tree large pivotal states, with the investigation of general factors affecting the election, it is believed that certain rather definite conclusions can be drawn concerning what happened in the country as a whole.

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This dissertation examines the effects of micro-level inequality on political preferences and voting behavior.

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