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32 Yale L. & Pol'y Rev. 569 (2013-2014)
Federalism from the Neighborhood up: Los Angeles's Neighborhood Councils, Minority Representation, and Democratic Legitimacy

handle is hein.journals/yalpr32 and id is 585 raw text is: YALE LAW & POLICY REVIEW Federalism from the Neighborhood Up: Los Angeles's Neighborhood Councils, Minority Representation, and Democratic Legitimacy Erwin Chemerinsky and Sam Kleiner* INTRODUCTION In 1999, the Los Angeles electorate approved an ambitious new charter for the city. One of the most important and controversial parts of the charter was the creation of a system of Neighborhood Councils. The Councils were designed to foster local ownership over municipal issues and to increase civic participation Unlike systems of neighborhood governance in other cities, where a central board appointed representatives, these Councils were to be created from within the neighborhoods themselves.' This Essay discusses the objectives of the Councils, assesses their perfor- mance, and offers recommendations for their improvement. In so doing, the Es- say builds on the work of one author, Erwin Chemerinsky, who was one of the central backers of the Council system.' This Essay proceeds in four sections. In Part I, the Essay offers Dean Chemer- insky's recollections of the development of the Councils and discusses the ra- tionale for this system. In Part II, the Essay offers an overview of the history of minority representation in Los Angeles. This Part also documents the need for a decentralized system that would empower minorities to exert greater political in- fluence. In Part III, the authors analyze the impact of the Neighborhood Councils on minority representation in Los Angeles. While noting that the Councils have * Erwin Chemerinsky is the founding Dean and Distinguished Professor of Law, and Raymond Pryke Professor of First Amendment Law, at the University of California, Irvine School of Law. Sam Kleiner is a student at Yale Law School. 1. See JULIETIMUSSO ET AL., TOwARD COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN CITY GOVERNANCE: EVALUATING NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL REFORM IN Los ANGELES 2 (2007). 2. See id. 3. Dean Chemerinsky has discussed the Councils in previous work. See, e.g., Erwin Chemerinsky, Further Reflections of a Framer: The Los Angeles Charter Reform, 3 GREEN BAG 2d 125 (2000). 569

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