From Resistance to Renewal: A 12-Step Program For the California Economy

As California faces off against the federal government on everything from immigration to climate change, the state has the opportunity to do something radically different: transform our infrastructure, education, workforce development, housing, and transportation systems for the 21st century.

Researchers at the USC Program for Regional and Environmental Equity (PERE) and the Santa Cruz Institute for Social Transformation have conducted a comprehensive review on the California economy to help shift the economy toward stability and prosperity for Black, Brown, Asian, and all communities.

The report, From Resistance to Renewal: A 12-Step Program For the California Economy, highlights ways that state government, California communities of all backgrounds, and businesses can partner for prosperity under a new social compact. By examining California’s recent history and building on the lessons learned in the Golden State, the authors aim to create a forward-looking vision for the economy. Our multisectoral analysis spans diverse industries and institutions to paint a nuanced picture—of where we have been and where we are going—covering everything from innovation to environmental justice to housing to universal basic income.

The authors emphasize investment in innovation and infrastructure, growing our workforce, connecting Californians to one another and to opportunity by tackling the housing crisis, transforming our transportation systems, and supporting struggling regions, while securing our future by reforming the tax system, building climate friendly infrastructure, strengthening our governance, and more.

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