DISORGANIZED POLITICS AND THE HAVE-NOTS - POLITICS AND TAXES IN NEW-YORK AND CALIFORNIA

Students of politics are again asking how institutional patterns affec t political outcomes. This article contributes to that stream of inqui ry by revisiting V. O. Key's argument that the have-nots of society fa re worse in ''disorganized'' political systems because the lack of coh esive political parties with clear constituency bases means that their interests will not be represented effectively. The authors find Key's argument confirmed in a comparison of tax reform in New York and Cali fornia. The New York reforms, decided by cohesive, constituency-based legislative parties, spread the tax burden more equitably than the Cal ifornia ones, which were decided mainly through a series of disconnect ed public referenda.