How is California doing? And Ventura County? And where might they be headed? Not long ago, California and Ventura were considered Republican territory. What explains the shift to solid Democrat majorities today? What might the future bode?

This lecture looks at California politics from two perspectives: state and local. It seeks to understand California’s big policy issues, especially its budget volatility as it has gone from a $100 billion surplus to a $40 billion deficit just since the New Year. The lecture will focus on Ventura County and the city of Thousand Oaks to illustrate the challenges confronted by local governments.

Herbert Gooch (Ph.D.) is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at California Lutheran University. He formerly served as Director of the Masters in Public Policy and Administration program and Assistant Provost for Graduate Studies at Cal Lutheran. A graduate of U.C. Berkeley in History, he holds a M.B.A in Management and both masters and doctoral degrees in Political Science from U.C.L.A. He has written extensively and is a frequent commentator on political affairs locally and statewide. He has been at Cal Lutheran since 1987 and lives in Newbury Park with his wife. His interests include politics, film and travel.