Bono for Mayor

It Could Be a ‘Beautiful Day’ for Local Democracy in Dublin and Around the World

“Better pass boldly into that other world, in the full glory of some passion, than fade and wither dismally with age.” —James Joyce, “The Dead,” Dubliners

Dear Bono,

Now that U2’s residency at the Sphere in Vegas has successfully concluded, it’s time for you to get really creative—by returning home to Dublin to prepare to run for mayor.

I know, I know—Dubliners don’t actually elect their mayors, so you can’t run. At least not yet. Which is precisely why they need you there.

You’re …

by Joe Mathews | May 21, 2024

On a Rocky Hill in Athens, a ‘Democratic Odyssey’ Begins

Could a European People’s Assembly—Politician-Free and Chosen by Lottery—Become a Permanent Branch of Government?

by Joe Mathews | October 31, 2023

Democracy was first built on a lot of loose rock.

Can democracy now be rebuilt on that very same ground?

Recently, I spent a long afternoon on a dusty and rocky Athens …

Los Angeles Doesn’t Need a City Council

Resignations Won’t Fix a Broken System. Instead, Let Everyday Citizens Take Charge

by Joe Mathews | October 18, 2022

Please! Pretty please! With azúcar on top! I beg you—Kevin de León and Gilbert Cedillo—not to resign your seats on the Los Angeles City Council like Nury Martinez did. Instead, …

In Petaluma, the Future of Democracy and the Fate of the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest Are Intertwined

What Happened When a Sonoma City Convened Citizens to Figure Out What to Do With Its Fairgrounds

by Joe Mathews | September 13, 2022

I went to Petaluma to learn what might become of the world’s ugliest dogs. The Sonoma County city also showed me the future of California democracy.

That future arrived with an …

Let the People of California Solve the State’s Homelessness Crisis

A Citizens’ Assembly Could Unify People Around a Thorny Problem and Succeed Where Politicians Have Failed

by Joe Mathews | February 22, 2022

Dear Governor Newsom,

You’ve made herculean efforts to address the complexities of California’s long-running homelessness crisis. So have other state, federal, and local officials around the Golden State.

But while you’ve all …

citizens assembly