Can Two Ex-California Governors Stop World War III?

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Brown Are Speaking Out on Russia and China—And We’d All Do Well to Listen

Auto Draft | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

I must be getting old. Jerry Brown is starting to make sense to me. Arnold Schwarzenegger is sounding like an international statesman.

And heeding the advice of former California governors now seems like the best path for humanity.

It’s improbable that these two ex-governors—one known for head-scratching aphorisms, the other for silly one-liners—are now global voices of reason and champions of peace. It’s also logical, in a perverse kind of way. As the world goes mad and sets itself on fire, where better to turn for wisdom and experience than crazy and …

by Joe Mathews | March 29, 2022

Meet the Not-At-All-Human Multi-Billionaire Who Is Supposed to Save California

The State’s Rainy Day Fund Has Never Been Tapped—But That’s About to Change

by The Rainy Day Fund, as told to Joe Mathews | March 17, 2020

I’m ready for my close-up, Ms. Gerwig!

OK, as a budget fund without acting credits, I shouldn’t expect Greta Gerwig to put me in her next film—even if both she and …

For California’s New Governor, Big Mistakes Will Lead to Greatness

Gavin Newsom Can’t Make Meaningful Progress on Health Care or Housing Without an Appetite for Risk

by Joe Mathews | January 7, 2019

Gavin, screw up. Please.

Make mistakes. Big ones. Because the state you’re about to start running needs more screw-ups.

The transition now taking place in the California governor’s office feels both historic …

The 1958 Governor’s Race That Launched a Dynasty

An Internecine Fight Between Two Republicans Opened the Door to Ambitious San Francisco Democrat Pat Brown

by Miriam Pawel | November 6, 2018

As Jerry Brown nears the end of his record fourth term as California governor, his final months are swathed in nostalgia, superlatives, and retrospectives on a remarkable five decades in …

California Prison Sentences Don’t Work Any More

Why Now Is the Time to Change the Rules I Helped Make

By Michael B. Salerno | October 25, 2016

Just how much discretion should we give to officialdom when sentencing people to prison for crimes?

It’s a hard question, and, as I’ve learned firsthand, the answer can change through time. …

Does Blink-182 Know Something California’s Governor Jerry Brown Doesn’t?

While Politicians Keep Trumpeting the State’s Success, This Summer’s Songs and Films Sound Skeptical

By Joe Mathews | July 21, 2016

How is California doing these days? The answer may depend on whom you believe: Governor Brown or Blink-182.

This summer has exposed a divide in perception of California, between the political …

Get More Zócalo