Invisible Partisanship: Partisan Bias in Nonpartisan Elections and Its Impact on Local Policy Representation in California Reform Cities

In 1890-1930, the election system in American cities introduced nonpartisan ballots into the cities. Invisible Partnership evaluates this election scheme and how it disproportionately helps Republicans win local legislative contests and shapes city councils and school boards to produce conservative and pro-developmental local policies, as it places more Republicans with such political beliefs and policy preferences in the offices. Author Chang-Ho C. Ji asserts that partisan politics is a stronger force behind city and local politics than generally thought, ultimately shaping the process and results of local elections and various policy decision-making in cities and local School districts.