About the LA Governance Reform Project

The Los Angeles Governance Reform Project (LAGRP) brings together university scholars, researchers, and leaders from across the region to develop independent governance reform proposals that will advance a more transparent, accountable, and community-driven City of Los Angeles municipal government. The LAGRP’s mission is to produce independent nonpartisan reform recommendations informed by research and practice that not only informs the policy making process but helps inform broader civic and community engagement. 

To maintain the independent integrity of this project, this work is being funded entirely by private philanthropy and guided by non-elected community and civic leaders as they continue their independent work in governance reform.

An Interim Report including draft recommendations was made public in June 2023 and a Final Report was released in December 2023 with the intended purpose of informing any LA City reform proposals, as well as those introduced by the community and state legislators.

Project Timeline

The draft recommendations in the June 2023 Interim Report were the culmination of Phase 1 of the project: the academic and research teams’ best thinking, research, and analysis over more than a half year of activity. The group presented them with the intention of generating public discussion that could improve them before recommended legislative language was drafted in the fall of 2023.  

Phase 2 began with the release of the Interim Report and focused on improving the draft recommendations with feedback and in conversation with stakeholders. The Project Team sought public input, conducting surveys, focus groups, and stakeholder meetings around the proposals to assess the strengths and weaknesses of each. Following this outreach process, the project published its final recommendations in December 2023.

Project Teams

UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP TEAM

The unique contribution of this project to the swirling debate over LA governance reform is the university leadership team. A diverse group of leading academics who are both embedded in the research around governance reform and are also knowledgeable about the political and social dynamics of LA is ensuring the Project’s work is rigorous, independent, and rooted in reliable data and analysis.

RESEARCH TEAM

In addition to the University Leadership Team, a group of nine researchers from across the engaged universities has led specific studies in support of the overall Project.

  • Shelby Dunagan | Master’s Degree Candidate | Public Policy | University of California, Los Angeles

  • Steve Graves, Ph.D. | Professor | Economics, Forensics, Pop Culture | Department of Geography and Environmental Studies | California State University, Northridge

  • Lizeth Hernandez | Former Program Assistant | Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs | California State University, Los Angeles

  • Francisco Jasso, Ph.D. | Research Associate | Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs | California State University, Los Angeles

  • Timothy Krebs, Ph.D. | Professor | Department of Political Science | University of New Mexico

  • Jason Morin, Ph.D. | Professor | Department of Political Science | California State University, Northridge

  • Nick Perloff-Giles | Master’s Degree Candidate | Public Policy Analysis | University of California, Los Angeles

  • Kendrick Roberson, Ph.D. | Assistant Professor | Political Science | Pepperdine University

  • Chhandosi Roy, Ph.D. | Center for the Study of Los Angeles | Loyola Marymount University

Philanthropic Support

Local philanthropy sought a way to encouraging and fund an independent process to develop recommendations for governance reform so that proposals can be brought to the community and to the council for consideration.

The Eli Broad and Edythe Broad Foundation, ECMC Foundation, the Weingart Foundation, and the California Community Foundation, took the lead in reaching out to the university community to convene university leaders to organize an independent process, to incorporate research on local government and on Los Angeles, and to provide an unbiased, independent set of recommendations both for the community and for the city council to consider. The Project Team is grateful for their support.