LOS ANGELES, Nov. 24, 2025 – A new survey from Loyola Marymount University’s Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles (StudyLA) reveals that registered voters across Los Angeles County overwhelmingly believe local government is off track — and a strong majority supports sweeping structural reforms to fix it.
The 2025 L.A. County Governance Reform Survey, which includes responses from 1,004 registered voters, shows deep dissatisfaction with how the county is functioning and a powerful appetite for change.
Among the key findings:
- 66% of registered voters say L.A. County is moving in the “wrong direction.”
- Only 34% believe things are going in the right direction in the county.
- Among registered Los Angeles city voters, only 29% believe things are going in the right direction in their city.
- Despite pessimism about government, a majority (55%) say their own neighborhood is moving in the right direction — a sign that frustrations center on institutions, not communities.
Those concerns translate directly into support for change.
A striking 71% of registered voters believe L.A. County government needs major reform, even if it causes disruption. Among them, more than 73% prefer transformative reform over small adjustments.
“This is a moment of rare alignment,” said Fernando J. Guerra, founding director of StudyLA and professor of political science and Latina/o and Chicana/o studies at LMU. “Residents think the system isn’t working — not just in one area, but across multiple institutions — and they want big solutions, not incremental fixes.”
Residents express low trust in county leadership and concern about whether government truly serves the public:
- Only 24% trust L.A. County government “most or all of the time.”
- Nearly 80% believe county leaders are more connected to “big money interests” than to regular people.
- Just 21% believe the county is effective “most of the time.”
The sense of institutional failure is paired with concern about major regional challenges such as inflation, wildfires, climate change, and immigration enforcement. Amid these concerns, support for specific governance reforms — many enacted through Measure G — is overwhelming:
- 95% support establishing an independent Ethics Commission.
- 88% support expanding the county Board of Supervisors from five members to nine.
- 87% support electing a county CEO.
Yet, registered voters are cautiously hopeful about the impact of Measure G. Around half of respondents think the reforms will make government more responsive and about one in five think reforms will make government more efficient. “This survey shows both urgency and opportunity,” said Brianne Gilbert, managing director of StudyLA and senior lecturer of political science. “Angelenos want a more effective, more transparent county government. The public is demanding change — now it’s up to leaders to deliver.”
The full report, “2025 L.A. County Governance Reform Data Brief,” is available here. The survey was conducted online in English and Spanish from Oct. 16 to Oct. 28, 2025, and respondents were asked a range of questions concerning Los Angeles and governance reform. The margin of error is +/- 3.1%.
