Welcome

Golden Governance is a joint project of the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership at the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy and the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC). In difficult economic times, cities, towns and counties across California are rethinking how they tackle some of their toughest challenges. The result is a new collaborative approach to governance, which includes greater public participation in decision-making and service delivery.

This blog offers a place where local leaders and community members from around California can share their Stories of Success as they work together in new ways to provide services and solve problems.

New to Golden Governance? Check out our report "Golden Governance: Building Effective Public Engagement in California."

Do you have a Story of Success or a Hard Learned Lesson of your own? You can share them here by submitting your story to Senior Editor Ashley Trim via or by sharing them on our facebook page.

Los Angeles: Music Education

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Davenport Institute

Catherine Goldwyn heads up a program that offers music education to under-served urban children in South Central Los Angeles. More »

Posted in Education | Leave a comment

Palmdale: Housing and New start for offenders

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Davenport Institute

Last year a housing rehab program in Palmdale opened to offer hope to ex-offenders. More »

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Hermosa Beach, CA: control to residents

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Davenport Institute

The City of Hermosa Beach, CA continues to get things done in hard times by looking to its most valuable resource: its residents. More »

Posted in Local, Parks, Public Works | Leave a comment

Lakewood: Transparency and Accountability

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Davenport Institute

if the organization is able to draw from a broad base of the community (and not just attract a few gadflies), it could be the start of a new culture of engagement in the city More »

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Book Review: Slow Democracy (Clark & Teachout)

Posted on January 11, 2013 by pnpeters

Book Review: Slow Democracy by Susan Clark and Woden Teachout (Chelsea Green Publishing, 204pp) “Remember, for this is the kernel of the matter, that the theory of democracy assumes a far higher level of good sense, judgment, honest purpose, devotion … More »

Posted in Hard-Learned Lessons, Local | 1 Comment