California Isn’t the Center of the World—and That’s a Good Thing

For Centuries, the State’s Distance From Traditional Seats of Power Has Forced It to Innovate

The Center of the World is in California. But California isn’t the center of the world.

This seeming paradox goes a long way towards explaining how California became so central to the culture and economy of the Earth. As a matter of planetary geography, our state is in the middle of nowhere, on the hot and dry edge of a lightly populated continent, and thus Californians have always had to work harder to connect ourselves to other parts of the world.

I found myself pondering this while visiting the Center …

by Joe Mathews | September 3, 2019

Why California Should Close Failing School Districts

Southern San Diego County’s Sweetwater District Cannot Escape Mismanagement and Corruption on Its Own

by Joe Mathews | August 20, 2019

School has begun again for the 40,000-plus students of Sweetwater Union High School District. But the district’s governance crisis never seems to end.

Sweetwater rarely makes the statewide news, but …

In Fighting the Imperial Presidency, California Is Creating a Monster

As It Battles the Federal Government, Sacramento Has Gained Power at the Expense of Local Communities

by Joe Mathews | August 13, 2019

As California builds its capacity to fight the Leviathan that is the Trump administration, does it risk turning our state government into a Leviathan of our own?

This unhappy question—about …

The Troublesome Federal Judge Who Was Never Disciplined by Congress, His Peers, or the Press

What the Career of the Nation’s Longest-Seated Jurist Tells Us About the Judicial System

by Joe Mathews | August 6, 2019

While we should not rejoice at the death of Manuel Real, his passing offers some good news: At long last, California’s most troublesome federal judge is off the bench.

Unfortunately, the …

How the US Military Taught Americans to Smoke

A 1918 Policy Devised to Calm Soldiers’ Nerves Sparked a Bad Habit That Was Difficult to Stop

by Joel R. Bius | August 5, 2019

Mention of the American military-industrial complex conjures up images of massive weapons procurement programs and advanced technologies: supersonic bombers, strategic missiles, armor-plated tanks, nuclear submarines, and complex space systems. However, …

Why California Calls the Public Utilities Commission Whenever We Face an Impossible Mess

In a State That Wants to Regulate Everything, the PUC Does the Work Politicians Don’t Want to Do

by Joe Mathews | July 30, 2019

Don’t be surprised if, very soon, the California Public Utilities Commission is put in charge of making the Oakland Raiders winners again, managing Kanye’s award show appearances, or preventing In-N-Out …

Connecting California

California Isn’t the Center of the World—and That’s a Good Thing

For Centuries, the State’s Distance From Traditional Seats of Power Has Forced It to Innovate

Why California Should Close Failing School Districts

Southern San Diego County’s Sweetwater District Cannot Escape Mismanagement and Corruption on Its Own

In Fighting the Imperial Presidency, California Is Creating a Monster

As It Battles the Federal Government, Sacramento Has Gained Power at the Expense of Local Communities

The Troublesome Federal Judge Who Was Never Disciplined by Congress, His Peers, or the Press

What the Career of the Nation’s Longest-Seated Jurist Tells Us About the Judicial System

How the US Military Taught Americans to Smoke

A 1918 Policy Devised to Calm Soldiers’ Nerves Sparked a Bad Habit That Was Difficult to Stop

Why California Calls the Public Utilities Commission Whenever We Face an Impossible Mess

In a State That Wants to Regulate Everything, the PUC Does the Work Politicians Don’t Want to Do

Get More Zócalo

The Next Great California Bridge Should Span the High Desert

Infrastructure Linking Palmdale and Victorville Could Boost L.A.—and All of North America

Californians Want Much More From Our Neighborhoods

We Love Our Communities but Think They Should Make Us Healthier, and Even Find Us Jobs

Could the “Edge City” of Santa Rosa Become a Center of California?

A Budding Cannabis Industry, New Housing, and Better Transportation Are Expanding Its Clout

What It Means to Be ‘California’s Bank’

The Banc of California Bets Big on the State's Small Businesses and Local Communities

Get More Zócalo