by Jeremy Loudenback Much better known as a controversial U.S. military strategy to target members of insurgent groups across the world in the expansive “War on Terror,” drones are now creeping into domestic policy conversations around policy, privacy, and governance. Earlier this week, revelations surfaced about the use of drones by Read more…
by Jeremy Loudenback The Supreme Court’s recent decision to dismantle limits on campaign contributions has elicited a fervid reaction from many quarters. But it turns out that legal experts and those worried about the influence of political organizations funded by wealthy individuals aren’t the only ones concerned with the issue of abolition of Read more…
by Jeremy Loudenback The dimensions of American myopia are well established. From climate change to health care, the American way of doing business is not always universal. Democracy—that great civic religion—is no different. India, not the United States, boasts the largest democracy in the world, and the nation of 1.2 billion Read more…
by Jeremy Loudenback Earlier this year, Los Angeles was stirred by the publication of a report that painted a dire portrait of the city’s woes, from congestion to economic stagnation and growing pension-fund troubles. Last week, the Los Angeles 2020 Commission followed its assessment of the city’s challenges with the “A Time Read more…
by Jeremy Loudenback This year, the Bedrosian Center welcomed several new faculty members, including Lisa Schweitzer, an assistant professor in the Sol Price School of Public Policy whose research addresses transportation, urban environments, transportation, and social justice. With an interest in examining how governance and policy making influence the behaviors and Read more…
by Jeremy Loudenback Best in Governance Mayor Lucy Lou The Mayor of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, is not one to let sleeping dogs lie. Mayor Lucy Lou would rather go for a game of fetch or better yet greet visitors to the tiny unincorporated community on the Ohio River close to the Read more…
by Jeremy Loudenback In his 1964 State of the Union address, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared an “unconditional war on poverty,” beginning an expansive campaign to alleviate the effects of poverty. As part of his Great Society agenda, Johnson rolled out or strengthened a raft of programs that have become part Read more…
by Jeremy Loudenback Michael Govan may hesitate to call himself a good leader, but his record speaks for itself. Since Govan first took the reins at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), he’s seen yearly attendance numbers double at the once-sleepy institution, increased its profile through a series of Read more…
by Jeremy Loudenback In February, City Librarian John Szabo visited the Bedrosian Center to share his perspective on innovation and implementation in a setting not normally associated with governance studies: the public library. Szabo has had a long relationship with libraries, starting with his fond childhood memories of being dropped off Read more…
by Jeremy Loudenback If you thought that libraries were just in the business of lending books, you may not have been into a Los Angeles Public Library under John Szabo’s watch. Since coming aboard as head of the Los Angeles Public Library and its 73 locations across the city in 2012, Read more…
Best in Governance Edward Snowden, Barack Obama, and the NSA Reforms A year ago, Edward Snowden was little known outside the shadowy world of national security. But since the one-time contractor for Booz Allen Hamilton leaked shocking and costly revelations about the government, Patriot Act sanctioned, involvement in spying on its citizens and Read more…
by Jeremy Loudenback Museums have traditionally been designed as lofty displays of city treasures, part of a high-minded celebration of civic pageantry. But more recently, museums are no longer content to remain gilded repositories of art on a shining hill, removed from city affairs. Cultural institutions have assumed a new role Read more…
by Jeremy Loudenback At the next Goldman Sachs shareholder meeting, the usual discussions about shareholder value and adjusted leverage ratio will be joined by a seemingly unlikely topic: recidivism strategies. The unlikely confluence of corrections strategies and investment banking concerns one of the first examples of social-impact bonds in this country, Read more…
by Jeremy Loudenback After winning election in a contentious race to replace Steve Cooley as district attorney of Los Angeles County, Jackie Lacey hasn’t had the opportunity to rest on her laurels or celebrate the significance of being the first woman and African American to serve as head of the Los Read more…
by Jeremy Loudenback The public library may seem like a strange setting for discussions about governance. But these days, public libraries occupy an active and surprisingly commonplace role in the public policy arena, especially in urban areas. From helping citizens navigate the new healthcare marketplaces to dealing with homelessness, libraries are no Read more…
Best in Governance California Governor Brown Earlier this month, Gov. Brown’s State of the State speech served as another exclamation point on his superb track record in bringing California back from an abyss of budgetary woes and legislative gridlock during his second go-round as governor of the Golden State. Since his Read more…
Best in Governance Speaker of the House John Boehner In February, the sweetest sound heard in Washington D.C. was a sigh of relief after Congress came to an unusually speedy agreement on the federal borrowing limit and averted a possible default. The surprising avoidance of expected partisan bickering was accomplished Read more…
by Jeremy Loudenback On January 1 of this year, the country’s most eagerly anticipated law took effect in Colorado. Starting on New Year’s Day, aficionados flocked to new stores where, for the first time in the nation’s history, marijuana was legally available for purchase to state residents. (Washington voters also approved Read more…
by Jeremy Loudenback Cities are often described as laboratories, places where government officials, urban planners, and businesses can tinker with policies and ideas about urban living. Most often the terms of change are incremental, with new policies tried out on a limited basis. However, in January 2013, the city of Tallinn Read more…
by Jeremy Loudenback The Bedrosian Center kicks off its 2014 Lunch with a Leader series with a visit from one of the nation’s most important criminal justice leaders. Elected as Los Angeles County District Attorney in December 2012, Jackie Lacey assumed control of the largest local prosecutorial department in the nation, Read more…
by Jeremy Loudenback Flash forward to Los Angeles six years into the future. The city is clogged by a rising tide of traffic; the public school system is in shambles, with the majority of students failing to graduate high school; Los Angeles can no longer afford to pay for most vital Read more…
by Jeremy Loudenback It’s no secret that the polarization of the American political system has grown increasingly more pronounced in recent memory. And it’s not just limited to anecdotal evidence: 36 states are now dominated by a single political party, the highest number in 60 years. Republicans control 23 states (meaning Read more…
by Jeremy Loudenback After a year in which stories about cities facing bankruptcy from Detroit to San Bernadino were widely reported, it’s no secret that the fiscal health of many local governments is still on shaky ground. According to Janney Montgomery Scott analyst Tom Kozlik, the financial outlook for U.S. local Read more…
by Jeremy Loudenback In the heady months after the U.S. economy collapsed thanks to a mortgage industry run amok, municipalities found themselves dealing with the noxious fallout: a slew of foreclosures and related problems. In the aftermath, many local leaders invoked eminent domain as a powerful and swift strategy to stem Read more…
by Jeremy Loudenback It’s been a busy year at the Bedrosian Center. From presenting cutting-edge research to hosting events with a vaunted line-up of local, state, and national leaders, the Bedrosian Center continued conversations around governance and policy implementation for a changing world. With a goal to promote effective governance, the Read more…
