IGS in the News

Highlighting the Institute of Governmental Studies' contributions in the field of research on public policy in the media. 

News

May 13, 2024

KQED

IGS Co-Director and Sociology Professor Cristina Mora was interviewed for K Onda KQED, KQED's monthly newsletter focused on the Bay Area’s Latinx community. In the article, "The UC Berkeley Professor Centering the Latino Experience on Campus", writer Blanca Torres highlights the ways that Mora has drawn upon her experience as a Latina alumna of UC Berkeley to celebrate the Latino experience in higher education. To read the full article, click here.

KQED

The race for District 13 is one of the tightest in the country and could help decide control of the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2022, Republican John Duarte defeated Democrat Adam Gray by fewer than 600 votes, and the two candidates will face off again in November.

May 9, 2024

LA Times

The article cites results from the 2024 LABC Institute Housing Affordability Survey in Partnership with the Los Angeles Times, showing a 2-1 margin in support of increased home building in LA, despite nearly half of voters polled doubting its ability to effectively address the housing crisis. 

April 25, 2024

IGS is proud to congratulate one of our 2024 Percy Fellows, Alina Zarate! Alina will be presenting her research on UFW Political Advocacy and Farmworker Justice in the 21st century alongside Dr. Christian Paiz! We are extremely proud of the work you are doing, and can't wait to see what you do next. Congratulations Alina!

April 17, 2024

Brookings Institute
IGS Co-director and sociologist at UC Berkeley, Cristina Mora, points to continued trends of economic inequality and inflation, and lack of policy reform as the real culprits for Latinos disillusionment and growing frustration with the border crisis, leading to newcomer immigrants being scapegoated. The story seeks to add nuance to the conversation by highlighting the factors that contribute to negative perceptions of immigrants, while also acknowledging the increasing frustration amongst longtime residents who share their undocumented status.
Vox

Vox's Liz Chou calls the short trial of Secretary of Homeland Security's Alejandro Mayorkas the "Republicans' political impeachment stunt", while highlighting the way that congressional investigations add to a larger strategy of portraying President Biden's immigration policies in a negative light leading up to the presidential election.

March 19, 2024

Brookings Institute

As climate change continues to accelerate, tens of millions of people will become climate migrants, and millions of Americans will be uprooted. This article looks to learn from the Great Migration of African-Americans in the 1920s and the ways that the industrial, social, and economic conditions of the Jim-Crow south led to the gradual reformation of the Democratic political identity as one aligned with racial justice during the 1960s, which is well documented in co-director Shickler's book, Racial Realignment: The Transformation of American Liberalism, 1932–1965.

March 15, 2024

LA Times

In his March 15th column, "Polls get it right most of the time. Here’s what to be wary of", LA Times Senior editor David Lauter highlights the value of polling for political enthusiasts and concerned voters, while also calling out the pitfalls behind polling methodology. Namely, Lauter points to research conducted by Pew that shows bogus respondents actively trying to distort the results of polls, while also critiquing the way that journalists sometimes sensationalize poll findings to create attention-grabbing headlines.

KQED

Earlier this month we brought some of our favorite Forum guests – a poet, a novelist, a sociologist and a musician – who all work with themes of cross-cultural identity for a conversation, and live music and readings, before an audience. We discussed the complexities of racial and ethnic identity and how the hyphens we sometimes use to bridge our identities – Mexican-American, Chinese-American etc – can serve to both connect and divide us. It was all part of Night of Ideas, an annual public event bringing together artists and thinkers at the San Francisco Public Library.

NPR

Full of baseball metaphors, Scott Shafer paints a slim but optimistic picture of former LA Dodgers first basemen-turned-Republican candidate Steve Garvey's chances for election in the heavily Democratic state of California. To bolster the argument for Garvey's chances, the article cites a mid-January IGS poll release highlighting that 57% of voters felt that the "state was on the wrong track." To read the full article, click here. 

March 6, 2024

Fox KTVU

In the Fox KTVU article, Jana Katsuyama highlights slim margin in February polls between President Biden and Former President Trump, while highlighting some of the reasons for increasing dissatisfaction with each candidate's political bases. This slim margin adds more stakes to President Biden's State of the Union address, to which IGS Co-director Eric Schickler adds, "He's certainly going to convey a sense of himself as someone who works across the aisle, is not a sharp ideologue, and also committed to the norms of democracy,".

March 2, 2024

San Francisco Chronicle

The poll shows about 27% of likely voters said they’d back Garvey, the race’s leading Republican, a “statistical tie” to Schiff’s 25%, according to the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, which conducted the poll in late February. Click here to read the full article. 

September 11, 2023

The Los Angeles Times cited the Berkeley IGS Poll, revealing that 59% of California voters oppose cash payments as reparations for descendants of enslaved African Americans, while only 28% support the idea. Despite acknowledgment of the impact of slavery on Black residents, the poll indicates a challenging political landscape for Newsom, with strong opposition to cash reparations. To read more about the poll results, click here.

Despite acknowledging the ongoing impact of slavery, concerns about fairness and singling out one group contribute to the opposition. IGS Poll findings pose challenges for Governor Newsom, who signed legislation to create the California Reparations Task Force, which recommended a mix of benefits. To learn more, click here. 

September 10, 2023

Berkeley IGS Poll results cited by the San Francisco Chronicle, reveal that a majority of California voters, including Democrats, oppose cash reparations for Black residents, despite acknowledging the impact of slavery. The Reparations Task Force's recommendations, including cash payments, face skepticism, with 59% opposing. To read more about the poll results, click here

September 6, 2023

Los Angeles Times

Former President Donald Trump is on track to gain the support of California's delegates for next year's Republican convention. The Berkeley IGS poll cited by LA Times highlights the growing support Trump's campaign is accruing, and how several other presidential candidates are doing in comparison. Click here to learn more about the presidential race and the IGS poll findings. 

August 16, 2023

CBS News cites Berkeley's August 2023 IGS poll, highlighting rising concerns for lack of diversity in elected leadership positions. Californians are worried that state officials do not reflect the diversity of California's population.  To learn more about the results of the IGS poll, click here. 

June 9, 2023

New York Times

In the latest issue of the Interpreter, Amanda Taub outlines several crucial readings that help contextualize the significance of the Supreme Court's recent ruling on the Voting Rights Act. Seen as a surprising move by the conservative bench, the ruling upheld and reaffirmed one of the crucial remaining powers of the landmark act.

March 3, 2023

ABC7 Washington News

As Republicans contemplate their options for the 2024 presidential election, Berkeley's IGS poll is cited by ABC 7 Washington News discussing California republicans' views on their leading candidates. To learn more about statewide polls and the overall 2024 GOP favorite, click here

Washington Examiner

Washington Examiner article cites Berkeley IGS poll to highlight California Democratic voters' overall disapproval of both Governor Gavin Newsom and President Joe Biden running for president in 2024. To learn more about Californians' opinions of other potential Presidential candidates, click here