News

The Library Corner - Fall 2024 Edition

November 25, 2024
IGS Library and Internet Archive Digitization Project aka LoCal Dig Project

The IGS Library (IGSL) kicked off its multi-year California Local Government Documents digitization project in earnest this Summer! With funding from the State of California, and in collaboration with the California State Library and UCLA, we have initiated a partnership with the Internet Archive (IA) to digitize what is anticipated to be a one-of-a-kind digital collection of more than ten...

Blog: IGS Fellows in the World

Our Matsui Center undergraduate fellows share their unique and transformative experiences in public service, research, and public policy opportunities.

Spotlight: The Center for Community Innovation at IGS equips small and mid-sized cities with data analysis and storytelling training to further equitable development

November 25, 2024

The Equitable Development Data Insight Training (EDDIT) initiative has had an eventful year! Launched by Professor Emerita Karen Chapple of the Center for Community Innovation in early 2023, EDDIT has been incredibly successful in its venture to provide data analysis and storytelling training to organizations working towards urban equity.

EDDIT works closely with organizations in small and mid-sized cities across the U.S. and Canada to help them...

Spotlight: Transforming the Public Sector with Research on the People in Government and the Communities they Serve

January 22, 2021

IGS's newest research center, The People Lab, "aims to transform the public sector by producing cutting-edge research on the people in government and the communities they serve." We are thrilled to welcome Faculty Directors Amy Lerman and Elizabeth Linos, along with their talented group of interdisciplinary graduate student researchers, to IGS.

The People Lab now has over thirty projects underway, ranging from recruiting and retaining a diverse set of talented public servants to assessing and addressing the burnout of 911 dispatchers. No matter what project The Lab is...

IGS Co-Director Cristina Mora featured at UCLA panel

September 19, 2024

On Thursday, September 19, the Latina Futures 2050 Lab hosted an engaging panel discussion featuring prominent scholars, including IGS Co-director Cristina Mora, a leading voice in the study of race, identity, and politics. The event focused on the critical role of women of color in shaping the 2024 general election.

Mora and fellow panelists examined how the unique experiences and intersectional identities of women of color are reshaping the political landscape. The conversation provided key insights into voter behavior in communities of color and underscored the growing influence...

IGS Co-Director Schickler quoted in New York Times article; California's slow ballot counting process becoming "fodder for conspiracy theories" questioning election integrity

November 11, 2024
Soumya Karlamangla, Olando Mayorquín, Coral Murphy Marcos

With almost a week having past since Election Day, California's top election official, Shirley Weber, defends its slower-than-average, deliberate process of counting mail-in ballots to ensure an accurate election result. With nine of 16 the remaining Congressional races to determine control of the House of Representatives still uncalled, IGS Co-Director Eric Schickler weighs in, saying, "'Even actions that are actually just good-faith efforts to have a reliable election' can become fodder for conspiracy theories."...

IGS Co-Director Schickler connects Californians' "heightened sense of public disorder" to election of new LA District Attorney Hochman, CNN reports

December 1, 2024
Emma Tucker

In the aftermath of the 2024 general election, August Berkeley IGS poll data showing 60% of likely Los Angeles County voters thought public safety declined in the previous three years proves prophetic: Los Angeles elects former Republican candidate for California attorney general and federal prosecutor, Nathan Hochman as the new district attorney for the largest district in the nation. California voters also voted to recall overwhelmingly for Proposition 36, which imposes stricter penalties for some drug and theft crimes, as Oakland voters chose to recall progressive DA Pamela...

New Poll Highlights Californians’ Struggles with Basic Needs

May 1, 2024

The Possibility Lab, in collaboration with the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, has released findings from a January 2024 survey of 8,199 California voters. The poll assessed access to 12 essential resources, including housing, food, water, and employment. Results reveal that over half of respondents face challenges in accessing basic necessities, with nearly 75% agreeing that affordable housing is difficult to secure in their area. Conducted as part of the Possibility Lab’s Abundance Accelerator initiative, the survey underscores the need for innovative policies to...

IGS Co-Director Eric Schickler quoted in Washington Post Article: California to lead a Trump resistance again

November 18, 2024
Reis Thebault

California leaders are mobilizing to counter Donald Trump’s reelection, with Gov. Gavin Newsom and others preparing lawsuits and legislative defenses against anticipated federal challenges. However, experts like UC Berkeley’s Eric Schickler warn that sustaining resistance for four years may be difficult, given Trump’s strengthened political position and a more conservative judiciary. Schickler suggests California could also focus on showcasing effective governance to counter Trump’s agenda....

Implications of Trump's Reelection "hard to overstate", says IGS Co-Director Eric Schickler, UC Berkeley scholars

November 6, 2024
Edward Lempinen, Jason Pohl, Lila Thulin

In the aftermath of Former President Donald Trump's decisive reelection to the U.S. presidency, Berkeley News asked prominent UC Berkeley scholars across political science, sociology, international releations, and more to weigh in on the implications for the electorate and the country. Among the scholars quoted, political scientist and IGS Co-Director Eric Schickler shares:

There are many takeaways from the election results. But the most important implication is that just four years after the Jan. 6 insurrection, former President Trump will be back in the White House — now...