Sara Sadhwani, assistant professor of politics, will be part of a team of researchers that will develop proposals for better governance for the City of Los Angeles.
The L.A. Governance Reform Project (LAGRP) includes scholars with experience in governance research and practice. The reform proposals developed by the group will advance transparent, accountable and community-driven governance for the City of Angels.
In addition to Pomona College, the group includes researchers from UCLA, USC, Cal State L.A., CSU Northridge and Loyola Marymount University.
In her research, Sadhwani specializes in American politics and race and ethnic politics. She served as commissioner on the 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission, the group tasked with redrawing districts within the state for Congress, the state legislature and the California State Board of Equalization. She is a go-to source for news media seeking analysis of Los Angeles and California politics.
Considering the recent events at city hall, trust in the Los Angeles City Council is at an all-time low,” says Sadhwani. “The state’s independent redistricting commission has a proven track record of enhancing transparency and promoting participation, both of which would be major improvements for the process in Los Angeles.
The LAGRP’s first task will be to provide policy recommendations for an independent redistricting process to be presented to policymakers in the coming months. Following the completion of this first stage, the university team will turn to other areas including council expansion, ethics, and land use reform, among other topics. The group will issue updates on its work in the coming weeks. It plans to be in operation throughout 2023.