What the 10 Richest Angelenos Tell Us About L.A. and Its Economy

From Aerospace to Apparel—These Billionaires’ Businesses Reflect the Entrepreneurship and Variety of the County

If you were trying to understand the economy of Los Angeles County during the first half of the 20th century—the period in which L.A. emerged as a modern metropolis—you’d do well to scrutinize the business interests of one man: Harry Chandler.

Not that you could ever peel back all the layers of Chandler’s empire. “He operated in a whirlwind of activity … setting up numerous dummy corporations and secret trusts,” Robert Gottlieb and Irene Wolt explained in Thinking Big, their epic account of the making of Southern California, as seen through …

Could COVID-19 Force Us to Confront Our Consumption Problem? | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Could COVID-19 Force Us to Confront Our Consumption Problem?

The Pandemic Changed Us—And We Don’t Have to Return to Old Shopping Habits

It never seems to be the right time to talk about our consumption problem. When the economy is strong, we’re told that slowing our ever-expanding appetite for goods, services, and …

Why Did Tougher COVID Restrictions Help State Economies? | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Why Did Tougher COVID Restrictions Help State Economies?

An Economist Unravels the False Choice Between Business and Public Health

In April 2020, with the pandemic in full swing, the Economist published: “A Grim Calculus: COVID-19 presents stark choices between life, death and the economy.” Soon Americans were blaming the …

To End the Stigma Around America’s Poverty Crisis, Teach It in the Classroom | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

To End the Stigma Around America’s Poverty Crisis, Teach It in the Classroom

Instruction on the Nature, Extent, and Causes of Poverty Will Challenge Entrenched Narratives Around It—And Open the Door for Policy Change

Just as our ignorance of science puts us at risk from disease or environmental disaster, our ignorance of poverty creates real dangers for people and societies. Which is why, just …

The Zombie Building That Ate San Diego | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

The Zombie Building That Ate San Diego

Can the Rest of California Learn From the City Losing Millions on an Empty Office Tower?

As Californians figure out what to do with thousands of buildings made empty by pandemic and recession, we should hold ourselves to a baseline standard: Let’s not be as scared …

When Will Californians Start Spending Again? | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

When Will Californians Start Spending Again?

For Lower Income Residents, Consumer Confidence Continues to Slide

California isn’t just the world’s fifth largest economy—it’s also a global capital of consumer culture. And now its culture, and the everyday habits of its people, are being profoundly disrupted …