Democratic Party

California’s Ballot Measures Don’t Need to Be a Hot Mess

A Swiss-Style Model of Counterproposals Could Make for Smarter Voting and Better Public Policy

No man is happy but by comparison.

– Thomas Shadwell, poet laureate, United Kingdom (1689-1692)

If you want to better understand the true nature of a proposal, consider a counterproposal.

Looking at two competing proposals forces you to reckon with the different details of each idea.

Which is why every proposition on the California ballot should have a counterproposal listed next to it.

I raise this idea now because of a nasty fight in the State Capitol that made headlines earlier this summer. The fight was over a November ballot initiative and …

by Joe Mathews |

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California Democrats Need Real Opposition | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Why Is Gavin Newsom Invoking a Failed World War Two-Era Governor?

Culbert Olson Talked A Good Game About Democracy, But He Failed to Protect Californians’ Civil Liberties

by Joe Mathews |

If you’re ever inside the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale and hear laughter ringing through the hallways, it’s probably me visiting the tomb of Culbert …

California Democrats Need Real Opposition

A Book By a Leading Republican Demonstrates the State’s Lack of a Counter-Narrative

by Joe Mathews |

In our era of one-party rule by complacent Democrats, California might benefit from a coherent and compelling political opposition.

Instead, we keep getting John Cox.

You probably don’t recognize Cox’s name. This …

Republican Candidate Steve Garvey Started His Career on the Left (Infield)

In California, a Former Dodger Turned Politician Demonstrates How Positions Hide Weaknesses

by Joe Mathews |

Many of us aren’t old enough to remember it, but Steve Garvey, now the leading Republican candidate for California’s U.S. Senate seat, started his career on the left.

The left side …

Why Are Democrats Reluctant to Be Woke? | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Why Are Democrats Reluctant to Be Woke?

The Party’s Fear of Alienating White Voters Is Misplaced—And Creating a Missed Opportunity

by Ashley Jardina |

Recent debates over how race fits into American politics have centered on one word: “woke.” Florida’s “Stop WOKE Act,” which took effect in July, is intended to restrict how schools …

What the Remarkable Transformation of One Georgia County Means for America | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

What the Remarkable Transformation of One Georgia County Means for America

Gwinnett County Is a Testament to the Political Power of ‘a Racially and Culturally Diverse Group’ of New Suburbanites

by James C. Cobb |

Joe Biden’s victory in Georgia was surely the most surprising red state flip in the 2020 presidential election. Exploring the strikingly rapid transformation of Gwinnett County, the state’s largest suburban …


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