The Rise and Fall of Measure E
This essay is adapted from the forthcoming book TUESDAY NIGHT FIGHTS, detailing the political and self-governance history of Thousand Oaks.
This is an updated version of this vignette - the original version, first published in 2021, is available at www.micfarris.com/articles/the-rise-and-fall-of-measure-e-2021
Election Interference
While presented to show that our elections are being undermined by outside forces, the call is really coming from inside the house
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Truth and Intelligence
When the analyst's job becomes making the decision look reasonable
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The American Experiment
Remembering what made and makes America America.
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Civic Decision Intelligence
Public decision quality is a function of the decision environment, not just the decision makers.
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Choosing to Know
An appreciation post for MS NOW’s Ali Velshi on seeking and surfacing truth - book banning, Juneteenth, scientific research – and making us all better decision makers.
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Stopping the Next “Stop the Steal”
GOP leaders are already questioning election results that aren’t going their way. Knowing the pattern helps us to prevent attempts to steal results in November.
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When Truth Gets Fired
CBS clicks “stop” on the 60 Minutes stopwatch.
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Calvinball
A game with no rules and not great for public decision making.
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Erasing History
Remembering, not erasing, our history leads us to make better decisions for our country. Worth remembering on this Memorial Day.
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Truth Seeking
Better decisions are made when we honor and protect those who seek and surface the truth.
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The Maps Send The Message
Rapid efforts to redraw district maps are sending a message. We have work to do to ensure we’re sending the right one.
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Cracks in American Democracy: Louisiana Edition
Three stories from the Bayou State remind us that the fight for free and fair elections is not over.
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Trump vs The Press
Donald Trump doesn’t value America’s First Amendment. So, White House correspondents shouldn’t be celebrating the First Amendment with him.
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Shadow Decision Making
In 2016, the Supreme Court created a “shadow docket” for making its decisions. What it did was create a decision environment of outcome-based decision making, but in the shadows.
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Words as Weapons
Harvard scholars are calling April 7, 2026 a date that will live in infamy. Whether or not that’s true, there must still be accountability.
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No Kings 3.0
“…the right of the people peaceably to assemble…”
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Afroman and The Rights of Americans
Rights don’t protect themselves, so we need to fight for them
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They Chose The Shoes
How footwear can tell you about one’s character
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The Slow Journey of Truth
Eventually, the truth comes out, but that doesn’t always drive decisions.
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