Welcome to Happening in California, a brief look at political news, insights, and analysis of the world’s fifth-largest economy.

You’ve heard it before, all politics is local. Well out here in California, it’s taking on a whole new dimension.

Local governments have become the epicenter for progressive public policy proposals that when established at the local level, often work their way up to the state and eventually influence other states and federal policy. And the consequences on affected businesses is huge.

Here is a brief overview and why you should be paying attention to what’s happening locally in California …

Cheers,
Tom Ross | President and CEO | Swing Strategies

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The Big Picture: In the past decade, California local governments have had an increasing impact on public policy with reverberations at the state and national level.

While greater media presence and lobbyists impact the fate of legislation at the state level, local governments often meet into the dead of night where passing a new law can occur with faint attention or opposition.

Activists engage friendly local governments to pass an ordinance which eventually leads to significant public policy outcomes in California and even nationally.

Here are just a few examples that started at the local level in California:

What makes California different in this regard? Its sheer scale.

Why It Matters: California’s 10 largest cities only represent 25% of the state’s population, but combined their populations are larger than all but nine states.

Local governments in California have an outsized impact when it comes to public policy. And when an issue begins to catch on at the local level, its impact on affected businesses is immense.

We’ll Leave You With This: It’s important for national brands and organizations to have a strategy around California’s local governments …

… even something as simple as joining local chambers of commerce. Many local chambers are engaged in public policy, not just networking clubs. It costs little, but the gain is significant to have a local voice.

Give us a ring or shoot us an email if you’d like to chat about what’s happening in California.