Public Policy

Can finance serve democracy, or is it fated to play an adversarial role? UC Berkeley is launching a new initiative to investigate this question.

The Berkeley Program on Finance and Democracy will investigate how finance concentrates power and constrains democratic systems. Researchers will also explore alternative models that promote self-determination and reduce economic inequality.

Visiting UC Berkeley’s Campbell Hall today, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill to create “quantum innovation zones” across the state, positioning the campus as a leader in the race to establish California and the Bay Area as a center of an emerging economy.

The innovation zones will leverage California’s leading edge in quantum computing and research,...

Total effective tax rates for the 400 wealthiest Americans have declined sharply in recent years, and they now pay a smaller percentage of their true income in taxes than the average American, according to new economic research from UC Berkeley.

For that highest cadre of the economic elite — the top 0.0002% — the effective tax rate fell from 30% in 2010–2017 to 23.8% in 2018–2020, says the new research. The wealthy paid lower overall taxes because they were able to shelter more of their business...

Editor’s Note: The work of UC Berkeley Social Sciences faculty helps shape California public policy. In this series, learn more about their research and projects and how they resonate with state policymakers and address solutions to the most pressing issues facing California, from food access to homelessness.

UC Berkeley Economics and Public Policy Professor Hilary Hoynes uses her expertise in child poverty and the social safety net to influence California public policy and develop solutions to the state’s economic issues. ...