News from 2016
Cities as Building Blocks for Sustainable Societies
Research at the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory led by Goldman School Professor Dan Kammen and Dr. Deborah Sunton of the US Department of Energy highlights that while cities currently contribute to global climate change by emitting the majority of anthropogenic greenhouse gases, they could become the building blocks of sustainability. In this week’s inaugural special issue of Science Magazine on Sustainability Studies, Professor Daniel Kammen and Dr. Deborah Sunter explore the potential of using renewable…
Michael Nacht Named Interim Director at the Center for Studies in Higher Education
Press release: BERKELEY, CA, May 16, 2016 - The Center for Studies in Higher Education (CSHE) is delighted to announce that Professor Michael Nacht has been appointed as Interim Director, effective May 16th. He will replace Carol Christ, former CSHE Director, who was named the University’s Interim Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost on May 1st. Michael Nacht holds the Thomas and Alison Schneider Chair in Public Policy at the Goldman School of Public Policy.  …
Fighting “Legalized Corruption” in Politics
Watch Charlotte discuss her work with Represent.Us with Dean Henry E. Brady as a part of UCTV's "Millennial Voices" webcast. When people learn I've taken a year-long sabbatical from graduate school to pursue anti-corruption reform, they frequently assume I’ve joined a presidential candidate’s campaign. It is an understandable assumption. Bernie, Trump, Hillary, Cruz—virtually every presidential candidate left in the running has lambasted America’s culture of legalized corruption, in which…
Center on Civility & Democratic Engagement
The work of GSPP's Center on Civility & Democratic Engagement (CCDE), founded by Cal’s centennial Class of ’68, has never been more important. The 2016 election season has made our precious democracy’s vulnerabilities plain for all to see. Basic political tenets—like campaigning for votes on the merits of one’s positions and leadership—rather than insults and media-blitz feints—no longer hold the steady attention of the American public. For many,…
A Conversation with David Plouffe
David Plouffe served as the campaign manager for President Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign and was appointed a senior advisor to the President in 2011. He is now a strategic advisor for the ride service, Uber. David Plouffe visited the Goldman School during “Stop the Clock” week, which provides students and faculty with a chance to interact with leading decision-makers who have worked in public policy and government. The following is an excerpt from a conversation between him…
A Bittersweet Day for Working Mothers Living Off Tips
Like millions of mothers across America, my two little girls are taking me out to eat for Mothers’ Day. I enjoy being with my children as much as everyone else, but this Mothers’ Day will be bittersweet. As the co-founder and Co-Director of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United, a national restaurant workers’ organization, I know that my server, more than likely to be a woman, is also more than likely a mom like me—quite…
States Can Contain Health Care Costs. Here’s How.
The architects of the Affordable Care Act counted on competition in the health insurance market to keep costs down and quality high. While the law has accomplished many of its coverage and cost-containment goals, its vision of a more competitive insurance market seems to be fading. The nation’s second-largest health insurer, Anthem, is poised to acquire Cigna, the fourth-largest. Aetna, the third-largest insurer, is seeking to acquire Humana, the fifth-largest. If approved by the Justice Department,…
What Can Stop Kids From Dropping Out
Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have both trumpeted their proposals to expand college access and reduce student debt, but an even bigger problem is going ignored, at least by politicians: college dropouts. The statistics are jaw-dropping. Only 53 percent of college freshmen earn a bachelor’s degree within six years. Even fewer community-college students—39 percent—obtain a credential from a two- or four-year institution within six years. Of the 31 million adults who attended college between 1994 and 2014,…
Reforming Democracy From the Grassroots Up
Represent.Us, a bipartisan group, is trying to build momentum for campaign finance and lobbying reform by pushing legislation at the state and local level. (Photo: Christopher Huang/Represent.Us) Following the April demonstrations in Washington for campaign finance and voting rights reform, BillMoyers.com has invited activists—some of whom participated in the protests and some who did not—to describe what they are doing to continue work on these issues. This essay from …
Stan Collender Testifies before US Senate Budget Committee
Stan Collender (MPP '76) is the Executive Vice President of Qorvis MSLGROUP. He gave the following testimony before the United States Senate Committee on the Budget on April 27, 2016. Chairman Enzi, Senator Whitehouse and members of the committee: As a former intern and staff member of this committee from back when it began more than 40 years ago, and as someone who has devoted much of his career to the federal budget, I am of course delighted to provide the committee with…