To protect ballot initiatives from continuous opposition, one needs robust endurance and tenacity akin to Schwarzenegger’s.
Joe Mathews articles
Joe Mathews writes for Democracy Chronicles from his home in California. He is a columnist and editor at Zócalo Public Square and co-president of the Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy.
How california made a polish poet great
Exiled to Berkeley, Czesław Miłosz explored the margins of alienation, the horrors of his past, and visions of the future.
No One In Monterey County Is Good Enough To Serve In Legislature
California’s “democratic reforms” have left a place as… [key] as Monterey County without any state representation from one of its own.
In America, the Joe-mocracy Rules
A republic? A democracy? No, our country is an avuncular autocracy run by old guys named joe.
Why Gambling Can’t Really Lose In California
When state voters approved an expansion of casino gaming, gaming interests assured us that gambling here would be governed by strict limits.
Los Angeles Doesn’t Need A City Council
The people of L.A. will have the opportunity to live a dream and fire their failed politicians, so they can take up the work of local democracy.
California’s Prop 30 Is So Bad It Might Be Good
Joe Mathews asks: Will the fight against climate change finally force the replacement of California’s broken governing system?
Can Fighting Money with Money Create Fairer Elections?
Less than 1 percent of the population donates to local races. In Oakland, giving voters ‘democracy dollars’ might even the playing field.
Will California Get Smart About Mass Transit?
A new train could help battle climate change, serve expanding metro areas, and create a northern California mega-region.
Connecting California : The Breakup San Bernardino County Needs
San Bernardino is putting secession on the November ballot but the nation’s largest county should reconsider its 51st state ambition.