Social Sciences

There’s been a long standing debate why living standards are so different around the world. Even with talented workers, labor and capital investment, for example, there are clear economic disparities between East Africa and the United States.

UC Berkeley economics Professor Miguel’s research indicates that part of the answer could be something called “slack.” This occurs when workers or resources are underutilized due to low or inconsistent customer demand.

Professor Miguel focused his research on Kenya in...

UC Berkeley’s Social Sciences Division recently celebrated its faculty and staff at Social Sciences Fest, an annual gathering dedicated to recognizing the remarkable contributions and accomplishments of the Berkeley Social Sciences community.

Berkeley Social Sciences Dean Raka Ray welcomed guests by first acknowledging the current challenges facing higher education, while commending faculty and staff for remaining dedicated to Berkeley’s core values during these uncertain times.

“Through it all, you remain...

As tariff policy in the U.S. continues to rapidly evolve, UC Berkeley faculty weighed in on how these changes could impact trade, the economy, employment and international relations.

At a recent panel discussion titled “The New Tariff Regime: How the Trump Administration Is Upending the Global Trade Order,” Economics Chair and Professor Andrés Rodriguez-Clare, Economics and Political Science Professor Barry Eichengreen and Berkeley Haas Professor Matilde Bombardini spoke about the impact of the Administration’s tariff policies....

Political analyst Yuval Levin will discuss how a deeper understanding of the Constitution can help unite Americans in a free society during the Berkeley Liberty Initiative's (BLI) 2025 Ambassador Frank E. Baxter Lecture this week.

Levin is director of social, cultural and constitutional studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a Washington, D.C.–based public policy think tank. He holds the Beth and Ravenel Curry Chair in Public Policy and is the founder and editor-in-chief of the...