New America in California
 

BIG IDEAS FOR CALIFORNIA

Golden Dream Accounts are voluntary, universal, and portable retirement savings accounts for California workers who do not have access to a retirement savings plan at their workplace. The account supplements the current employer-based system and Social Security. It promotes expanded retirement security for working Californians by making it easier for them to save through payroll deduction while providing small businesses a basic retirement savings plan to offer their employees. More

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Your tax-deductible gift will help bring promising new voices and ideas into California's discourse, and help shape the future of vital public policies.

California Books


Lisa Margonelli
2007

Two Big Ideas for Reform in California

Seal of the State of CaliforniaCalifornians are frustrated and are calling for reform. Two big ideas advanced by the New America Foundation are at the center of the debate: a California constitutional convention and proportional representation for the electoral system.

The call for a California constitutional convention is growing. But how would the delegates be chosen? In this short and informative memo, Steven Hill outlines three possible methods for delegate selection as well as other important details for a constitutional convention.

California is a state of many distinct regions. To give citizens a voice on regional issues and to reinvigorate California's Legislature, Mark Paul and Micah Weinberg propose Personalized Full Representation for the 21st Century (PFR21), a system of representation by means of regionally based legislative elections that will allow the state's citizens to set the agenda for their regions and for the state as a whole.

Publications

Cold War Nostalgia

The global celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall aren't entirely about commemorating the rebirth of freedom or reliving those thrilling moments when a perverse and repressive system collapsed. Listen closely to the exalted commentary recounting the events of those historic days and you're also likely to hear the subtle intonations of regret and nostalgia.

Gregory Rodriguez | Los Angeles Times | November 9, 2009

A $1-Billion Bad Idea for Jordan Downs

Bad ideas, if they were ever widely accepted, have a curious way of sticking around. That's because they give rise to institutions that have a momentum of their own. We've long known there are better ways to fix blighted neighborhoods than simply pressing "reset" -- that is, letting the government tear down old buildings and put up new ones. But we remain saddled with a system of public housing that keeps looking for ways of, well, pressing reset.

T.A. Frank | Los Angeles Times | November 8, 2009

Why Does Oklahoma Want To Drown New York?

Terry Tamminen | CNBC.com | November 8, 2009

The Little Unions That Couldn't

T.A. Frank | The Washington Monthly | November 6, 2009

Better and Cheaper Elections for Vancouver

The most expensive mayoral race in Vancouver's history is over. The bad news: It took two elections, hundreds of thousands of dollars and a fair amount of mud-slinging to produce a winner. The good news: Vancouver has the ability to cut election costs and campaign spending as well as restore civility to the electoral process in one fell swoop.

Blair Bobier | The Oregonian | November 6, 2009

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Events

CA EVENT: The Future of Early Education Systems in California (Pre K-3rd)

As California struggles to close persistent achievement gaps, it is increasingly apparent that these gaps exist at school entry and that efforts to improve the early education systems (PreK-3rd) are warranted.   Please join us in the release of "On the Cusp in California: How PreK-3rd Strategies Could Improve Education in the Golden State," a policy paper from New America's Early Education Initiative that highlights key strategies for creating a more seamless system for early learning in California.

10/29/2009 - 11:30am
10/29/2009 - 1:00pm

CA EVENT: Updating California's Poverty Measure

The California Asset Building program hosted a policy roundtable discussion Wednesday October 14 in the State Capitol on updating the antiquated and misleading way we measure poverty. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Director of Poverty Research, Mark Levitan, led Assembly and Senate staff in the in-depth discussion (view his presentation here). Last year, New York City enacted an updated and improved poverty measure based on recommendations made by the National Academy of Sciences.
10/14/2009 - 12:00pm
10/14/2009 - 1:30pm

CA EVENT: Governors' Global Climate Summit 2

Following up on last year's successful Summit, we will continue to expand our network of subnational collaboration to stimulate economic growth, reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, create green jobs, promote clean energy solutions, and reduce greenhouse gas pollution.

09/29/2009 - 12:00pm
10/02/2009 - 6:00pm

CA EVENT: Pop-Up Magazine 2

"Heavy with bold-faced names... fast, loose, often funny, and wholly unpredictable." San Francisco Chronicle 

09/25/2009 - 7:00pm
09/25/2009 - 9:30pm

CA EVENT: Asia Resurgent?

Please join us in a lunch discussion featuring two dynamic authors. Nicholas Schmidle, author of To Live or to Perish Forever: Two Tumultuous Years in Pakistan will discuss the most recent and turbulent period of Pakistan’s history. His observations provide a contemporary history of this country at a time when President Pervez Musharraf’s power was waning and the Taliban’s was growing, and when Americans began to realize that Pakistan’s fate is inextricably linked with our own.

09/16/2009 - 12:00pm
09/16/2009 - 1:30pm

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About Us

California Flag California has long been the nation’s leading laboratory of democracy, setting trends for the country as a whole and providing a testing ground for new policy ideas. New America has established a substantial presence in California, with the dual purpose of introducing cutting-edge solutions to the state’s foremost challenges and of enriching the quality of California’s public debate.

California today is undergoing unprecedented change, driven by rapid population growth, increasing ethnic diversity and new patterns of economic activity. These changes place enormous pressure on the state’s budget, schools, housing and infrastructure, as well as on California’s system of governance, which is in urgent need of reform.

Thanks to support from the James Irvine Foundation, New America has launched a multifaceted program to address these daunting problems. New America’s California Program appoints seven California-based Fellows per year, and houses New America’s Political Reform Program. In addition, it pursues state-specific initiatives in conjunction with New America’s national Asset Building, Education and Health Policy Programs, in each case crafting innovative solutions that can overcome California’s polarized, political debate.

New America’s staff and Fellows are regularly invited to brief California’s Governor, key legislators and their staff. This has led to the introduction of several pieces of important, bipartisan legislation. Meanwhile, our California-based staff and Fellows have published hundreds of articles in all of the state’s leading publications, contributing fresh ideas for meeting California’s most pressing public needs.

A more-detailed program description is available here.

Staff and Fellows

California Program

Asset Building Program

California Education Program

Political Reform Program

Climate Policy Program

California Fellows Program

Click on any name above for more information.

CALIFORNIA VIDEO PLAYLIST


Media Contact in California

For California press inquiries, please contact:

Elizabeth Wu
Manager, California Media
(510) 295-9859
wu@newamerica.net

California Staff & Fellows

Steven Hill

Steven Hill Director, Political Reform Program

Steven Hill is a political writer and director of the Political Reform Program at the New America Foundation, which seeks to develop the best opportunities for reform, educate opinion leaders and the public about electoral alternatives, and encourage the formation of a broad-based coalition.

Areas of Expertise: Campaign Finance, Political Reform
For New America's complete Experts Guide, please click here.

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