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.

Let The Californian People Solve The Homelessness Crisis

February 27, 2022 by Joe Mathews 1 Comment

The answer lies in a tool of popular democracy that is little known in California, but has become a common method for addressing desperate problems.

What If Everyday People Ran Los Angeles?

February 17, 2022 by Joe Mathews Leave a Comment

If the crisis in democracy had a capital, it would be Los Angeles. And if democracy is going to be saved, that rescue needs to start in California.

Courts, Constitutions, & Democracy: A Failing System

April 29, 2023 By Andrew Straw

Equal protection on its face means that everyone is treated equally but the U.S. Supreme Court has limited equal protection.

Newsom’s ‘Campaign For Democracy’ Has A Democracy Problem

April 26, 2023 By Joe Mathews

The governor has sympathies for changes in governance; he’s deeply familiar with democratic innovation. But will he actually take on democratic reform?

Podcast: Between Democracy And Autocracy

April 19, 2023 By Jenna Spinelle

Between democracy and autocracy is an anocracy, defined by political scientists as a country that has elements of both forms of government.

Who Will Protect The Global Economy From California?

April 18, 2023 By Joe Mathews

This bank failure, the second largest in U.S. history, actually fits a very old pattern—of California and its industries putting the economies of the nation and the world at risk.

Split Level In Jersey

April 15, 2023 By Jamie Lampidis

Everyone has limits to their goodness, Like those structures in her oil paintings, Cartoonishly stretched to contain something within.

California, Keep Your Schools Open. No Matter What

April 14, 2023 By Joe Mathews

California’s school reopening revealed education disparities, highlighting the need to rebuild trust and relationships for addressing these inequalities.

Using Beer As Reminder Of UK Voting Rule Change

May 7, 2023

Brixton Brewery has launched a beer can campaign to encourage voters in the UK to bring their photo ID to vote.

Macron Honors Haitian Revolutionary, But Leaves Much Unsaid

May 2, 2023

Macron visited the prison where Toussaint Louverture died, praising him as a hero who embodied French Revolution values.

Iranian Secret Committee ‘Punished Celebrities Over Dissent’

April 28, 2023

Iran’s Secret committee sent a list of 141 to the economy ministry, including celebrities, raising more worries over freedoms.

Pussy Riot Will Receive This Year’s Woody Guthrie Prize

March 30, 2023

Russian performance collective Pussy Riot will receive this year’s Woody Guthrie prize honoring art for social change, award organizers said Thursday.