Joe’s Newsletter

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America’s urban majority has been disenfranchised—here’s how to fix it
Why we need a City-State revolution that partitions the largest states to restore majority rule to the Senate and Electoral College
Published on DemocracySOS • 
COLUMN I'm a Criminal Because of Where I Live
Making My Life in Los Angeles Makes Me an Outlaw, a Rebel, And an Insurrectionist, Says My Nation's Government
Published on Joe’s Substack • 
COLUMN For Independence, Take Down Your National Flag
And Fly a Local One!
Published on Joe’s Substack • 
COLUMN I Went to the Riot And Ended Up at a Birthday Party
Trump Declared a Rebellion in L.A. County. I Found a Sweet 16 and Great Tacos
 • 
Joe Mathews
Finding Lost Hills in the Central Valley
A complete make-over for a small town in California, thanks to planners, professionals, residents, and philanthropists.
Published on Our Towns Civic Foundation Newsletter • 
COLUMN Why I'm Joining the Santa Cruz Rebellion
A City Defies State Law in Service of Democracy and Local Sovereignty. If Only Every Community Did the Same
Published on Joe’s Substack • 

May 2025

NEWSLETTER Can Your City's Twin Save You? Plus 'Militant Democracy', Databases and Goodbyes
What's worth, reading, watching and attending in democracy and local governance as May turns to June
Published on Joe’s Substack • 
Let’s talk about democratising financial institutions
Michael McCarthy joins Claudia Chwalisz to discuss his new book, about democracy’s failures in finance, and how sortition might fix them
Published on DemocracyNext’s Newsletter • 
COLUMN: Call It The River Trump
The Endangered, Border-Crossing Tijuana River Needs Transnational Attention. A New Name Would Help.
Published on Joe’s Substack • 
COLUMN The COG in Local Government's Future
A finalist for the "All-America City" award isn't a city at all. Welcome to the Council of Governments, and the Future of Governance
Published on Joe’s Substack • 
NOEMA Ukraine's Local Communities Are Creating a New Model for Post-Conflict Reconstruction
With help from cities around the world, a democratic, "Locals First" model emerges.
Published on Joe’s Substack • 
COLUMN Learning Journalistic Skepticism Through a Mother's Love
On Mother's Day, a Lasting Media Lesson
Published on Joe’s Substack • 
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