News

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."...

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...

Berkeley IGS Poll in Progress this Week (Sept 25 - Oct 1)

September 25, 2024
Berkeley IGS Poll in Progress This Week

This week the Institute of Governmental Studies will be conducting another of its periodic polls of the California public about major political and public policy issues facing the state. It is a legitimate non-partisan poll sponsored by the University that is carried out by distributing email invitations via Qualtrics to a carefully constructed random sample of the state’s registered voters. Data collection will continue through Tuesday, October 1.

The opinions of all survey participants will remain confidential and not be...

LA Times article highlights IGS Poll results that reinforce the decline of the news industry as more voters rely on search engines for election-related news

July 24, 2024
Ashley Ahn

California has lost one-third of its newspapers and 68% of journalists since 2005, driven by the rise of digital media. Assembly Bill 886 would require platforms like Google to pay news outlets for linking to their content, while Senate Bill 1327 aims to support local journalism through fees on tech companies for user data.

A recent IGS poll found California voters rely on Google and search engines nearly as much as traditional newspapers for election news. Despite growing social media use for news, concerns about misinformation are increasing, and many news outlets face severe...

In the aftermath of Pres. Biden's withdrawal from the presidential race, KTVU interviews IGS Co-director Schickler offers his take on potential contenders out of California

July 21, 2024
Andre Torrez

With Biden stepping down, Vice President Kamala Harris and California Governor Gavin Newsom are seen as Democratic frontrunners. UC Berkeley's Eric Schickler believes Harris has the edge, especially with Biden's backing, and her nomination could be historic as the first Black woman president. Republicans may struggle to cast Harris as weak on crime due to her prosecutorial background.

From the article: Vice President Kamala Harris is the logical successor to Biden since that is essentially the function of a vice president should they become incapacitated in any way...

Despite a 2023 IGS Poll finding a majority of Californians disatisfied with VP Harris, Democratic voters seem to be warming to her candidacy, Cal Matters reports

July 16, 2024
Calmatters Network

With President Biden’s 2024 bid in question, Kamala Harris is gaining renewed attention. Though her vice presidency has faced criticism, recent IGS poll show growing Democratic support for her as a presidential candidate. Born and raised in California, Harris’ career spans from district attorney to U.S. senator, marked by a pragmatic approach to politics. Known for her focus on criminal justice reform and tackling sex crimes, Harris has been both praised and criticized for her cautious, non-ideological stances.

From the article: Now that voters are reconsidering...

In light of the assassination attempt on Former Pres. Trump, IGS Co-Director Schickler contextualizes the history of political assassinations in this July LA Times Article

July 13, 2024
Daniel Miller, Hannah Wiley and Tony Briscoe

In a historic moment echoing past political violence, former President Donald Trump was injured in a shooting at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The attack, which left one attendee dead and two critically injured, recalls assassination attempts on figures like Theodore Roosevelt and Gerald Ford. Trump, though briefly downed, was later reported to be "fine." Eric Schickler, a political science professor at UC Berkeley, noted that many Americans today aren't familiar with the political violence of the 1960s and '70s, making the attack even more shocking. The incident has...

Joe Biden vs. Dianne Feinstein; Co-Director Eric Schickler questions Democrats' "reluctance to undermine somebody that had been important in the party" in San Francisco Chronicle article

July 5, 2024
Shira Stein, Joe Garofoli, Sara Libby

Democrats are increasingly concerned about President Joe Biden's electability, drawing parallels to Senator Dianne Feinstein's declining mental acuity. Eric Schickler, a political science professor at UC Berkeley, notes that while there’s reluctance to challenge aging party elders, the stakes with Biden are much higher. Unlike Feinstein, whose resignation would have ensured a Democratic replacement, Biden’s potential exit raises complex risks for the party.

From the article: “Democrats have had the tendency to think, ‘Well, we owe it to the person. They’ve been good...