Events

2024 Matsui Lecture: Congress and the Crisis in American Democracy

Tuesday, March 12th, 2024 - The Robert T. Matsui Center for Politics and Public Service is pleased to announce that Former United States Representative Mickey Edwards will be the 2024 Matsui Lecturer. The Matsui Lecture is delivered each year by a distinguished former Member of Congress. In addition to speaking at a large public event, the Lecturer also speaks to classes, meets with students, and participates in the intellectual life of the Matsui Center and the Cal campus. Following a pandemic-related hiatus, we are thrilled to restart the Matsui Lecture...

Election Night: 2024 California Primary Watch Party

The Robert T. Matsui Center for Politics & Public Service & the Institute of Governmental Studies are hosting an Election Night Watch Party

2024 Primary Elections Watch Party

Tuesday, March 5, 2024 @ 6:30PM at IGS Library (109 Philosophy Hall)

Doors open at 6:15pm (Seating is available on a first come first served basis.)

The Robert T. Matsui Center for Politics & Public Service, and the Institute of Governmental Studies are hosting an fun, friendly, and informative evening of food, trivia games, and healthy discussion as we livestream the...

2024 Percy Synar Award Ceremony and Reception

February 23, 2024 2:00pm - 4:00pm Please join us as we congratulate the 2024 recipients of the Charles H. Percy Undergraduate Grant for Public Affairs Research and the Mike Synar Graduate Research Fellowship.

The Charles H. Percy Undergraduate Grant for Public Affairs Research 2024 Recipients

Alina Zarate (Environmental Sciences, Interdisciplinary Studies): "The Multiple Fronts of the Fight for Farm Worker Rights: An Analysis of UFW Political Advocacy in the 21st Century"

Andrew Huong Yet Chen (Political Science, Psychology): "Unveiling Voter...

Institute of Governmental Studies Fall 2023 Welcome Reception

Wednesday, September 6, 2023 4:00pm - 5:30pm Join us in welcoming new and returning students, faculty, staff and visiting scholars!

Enjoy sweet and savory bites and toast to the new year while catching up on summer adventures with fellow IGS affiliated faculty, graduate students, student assistants, staff, and fellows. We'll also hear from IGS co-directors Cristina Mora and Eric Schickler about the exciting year of events and programs we have in store!

25th Annual Travers Conference on Ethics & Accountability in Government

April 21, 2023 9:30am - 3:00pm

California confronts a set of interlocking policy challenges that threaten its future vitality. The state has long been a magnet to people across the U.S. and the world seeking economic opportunity and a high quality of life. But as the price of housing has spiraled out of control and as climate change has multiplied the risks posed by drought and wildfires to communities, the state must develop new strategies that safeguard its future. This conference will bring together academic experts, policymakers, and advocates for a discussion of both the...

Past Events

2023 Barbara Boxer Lecture with Representative Judy Chu

April 3, 2023 4:00pm - 5:15pm Please join us in conversations with Representative Judy Chu.

From her position on the House Ways and Means Committee and as a member of the Subcommittees on Health, Worker and Family Support, and Oversight, Congresswoman Judy Chu has distinguished herself as a champion of working families. The first Chinese American woman elected to Congress, Rep. Chu has served as Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus since 2011, and has been a leading advocate for the needs and concerns of the Asian American Pacific Islander community...

2023 Matsui Lecture: Latinos and the Future of the Nation

March 7, 2023 4:00pm - 5:15pm The Robert T. Matsui Center for Politics and Public Service is pleased to announce that Former United States Representative Lucille- Roybal-Allard will be the 2023 Matsui Lecturer.

The Matsui Lecture is delivered each year by a distinguished former Member of Congress. In addition to speaking at a large public event, the Lecturer also speaks to classes, meets with students, and participates in the intellectual life of the Matsui Center and the Cal campus. Following a pandemic-related hiatus, we are thrilled to...

REI Colloquium: Colonial Bureaucracy & Contemporary Citizenship: Legacies of Race & Emergency in the Former British Empire

March 3, 2023 12:00pm - 1:30pm Please join us as we explore the contents of Yael Berda's latest book, examining how the legacies of colonial bureaucracy continue to shape political life after empire.

Yael Berda is an Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer) of Sociology & Anthropology at Hebrew University and a non-resident fellow with the Middle East Initiative at Harvard Kennedy school of government.

Berda publishes, teaches, and speaks on the intersections of law & society, bureaucracy and the state, race and racism and sociology of...

Women Leaders & The Future of California

March 2, 2023 4:00pm - 5:30pm Please join us as we ask four prominent women leaders: What role do politically engaged women of color play in shaping the next decade for the Golden State?

In the midst of historic partisanship, geopolitical upheaval, ecological disasters, and the remnants of a once in a generation pandemic, how can California leaders guide one of the largest and most influential cultural and economic regions in the world towards a brighter future? On the national scale, how does California continue to stand at the forefront on major issues...