Why LA’s Government Is So Weird And How It’s About to Change w/Dr. Raphe Sonenshein

**Editor's Note: Dr. Sonenshein later corrected that West Altadena, not East Altadena, did not receive notifications**Despite its dysfunction, LA has always been a place where people come to live the good life. So why is it so hard to govern? Dr. Raphe Sonenshein has spent decades inside LA politics as a teacher, author, and reformer and is the leading expert on LA governance. In this conversation, we discuss the structure of LA’s governance, LA’s political culture, the rare moment of charter reform we’re living through, and why he’s cautiously optimistic about the future. From the fate of the working class to the mysteries of county power, this is a crash course in how LA really works and what might finally make it work better.As always, make sure to subscribe at californiafuturesociety.com or wherever you get your podcastsApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/california-future-society/id1807612672Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0zzVSVdCUCTGuZUyl8qZXAYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVNumolJuKvqJScBEnhe8hQChapters00:00 – Intro04:20 – Unique Challenges of LA Governance09:16 – Political Culture and Media Landscape in LA14:19 – Charter Reform: A Historical Perspective23:02 – The Tangible Impact of Charter Reform27:18 – The Future of the Working Class in LA36:17 – Addressing Homelessness in Los Angeles38:59 – Hope for the Future of CaliforniaKeywordslos angeles politics, los angeles culture, los angeles urban development, la governance, fragmented governance, charter reform, city charter reform, county charter reform, la charter reform 2025, who runs la, la government broken, los angeles politics explained, la county mayor, measure g los angeles, los angeles political scandal, city vs county power, working class in los angeles, economic inequality la, working class crisis la, la housing crisis, homelessness crisis la, homelessness in la 2025, homelessness policy, la county government, unincorporated los angeles, la political culture, los angeles media landscape, redistricting los angeles, redistricting los angeles 2025, california governance reform, california political future, california civic identity, california policy crisis, inside los angeles city hall, future of los angeles