Let me walk you through some important findings about how Californians view their government and what might change that relationship. According to CalMatters Housing and research from UC Berkeley's Possibility Lab, there's a real disconnect between residents and state leadership. When researchers surveyed over two thousand Californians, they found that only about a third trust state government to do the right thing most of the time, and most people feel the state just isn't listening to folks like them.
What's particularly telling is that an overwhelming majority of Californians believe everyday people should have more say in the policies affecting their lives. The research also shows that most residents want the governor to make civic engagement a priority, and a significant portion of people want more direct opportunities to talk with state officials themselves. This tells us there's real appetite for change in how government operates.
The Possibility Lab has put together a comprehensive roadmap for California's next governor to build what they're calling a people-centered government. The core idea is something called co-governance, where government actually shares power with residents and community organizations in making decisions and solving problems. While California has some examples of this working already, the effort remains scattered and inconsistent across different departments and agencies.
The proposal includes some concrete steps, like having the governor appoint a chief civic innovation officer and create a new Civic Health Institute modeled after the National Institutes of Health. This institute would research what works in community engagement, pilot new approaches, and gather regular feedback from residents about what matters to them. There's also a suggestion for an annual Civic Assembly where Californians could deliberate on important issues and make recommendations directly to state leaders.
The agenda also focuses on who gets a seat at the table. It recommends that state boards and commissions better reflect California's diversity, including tribal nations, and that younger voices get represented on every board. The thinking here is that participation matters, but so does ensuring the right mix of people are involved and that their input actually shapes decisions that come down the line.
What I'm seeing locally in the Bay Area and across the East Bay is that real estate and development decisions increasingly affect people who feel left out of the process. When communities have a genuine voice in how growth happens and how neighborhoods change, we see more sustainable outcomes and stronger relationships between buyers, sellers, and the communities they're moving into. This kind of civic infrastructure could help make sure that development serves people rather than just markets.
