In this solo episode, I reflect on a question I keep coming back to: How do you actually change California politics? After nearly 20 episodes of California Future Society, I’ve started to see clear themes focused around a desire for change. I walk through historical examples of movements that drove real change, from the Progressive Era to Prop 13 to modern groups like GrowSF and YIMBYs. Movements, not parties, are what shift political incentives and lead to lasting outcomes. I also lay out two buckets of reforms: foundational fixes like housing and affordability, and bold, future-oriented moonshots. Finally, I share why I think the window for change might be narrowing and why that makes building a movement around the future more urgent than ever.
00:00 California's Politics are Stagnant
08:19 The Role of Movements in Political Change
10:29 The Progressive Movement
12:25 Depression-Era Movements
15:15 Taxpayer Revolt and Anti-Growth
16:22 GrowSF and YIMBY
17:50 Tipping Point Politics
20:54 The Two Buckets of Desired Change
25:46 A Future-Oriented Movement