Public Policy and Society (Audio)

The extractive linear economy and policies focused on endless growth have produced unparalleled socioeconomic inequality and the climate crisis. Communities around the world are calling for new economic models that are regenerative towards people, place, and ecosystems. Ancestral ʻŌiwi (indigenous Hawaiian) economic systems were built around people's relationships and understandings of wai (water)...

In an era of rapid political change, shifting global alliances, and deepening partisan divides, the Helen Edison Lecture Series is honored to welcome Ambassador Jeff Flake, former U.S. Senator from Arizona, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, and author of "Conscience of a Conservative: A Rejection of Destructive Politics and a Return to Principle." Flake explores the challenges and opportunities of democr...

Wine down with Chancellor May as he meets up with some of the students, staff and faculty from the Department of Viticulture and Enology — recognized as one of the best programs in the world. Chancellor May tours the winery and vineyard, learns about the winery's cutting-edge technology and sustainability practices, and even helps crush grapes before sampling the final product with his "partner in...

What does it really mean to go zero waste? At UC Davis, the answer is both innovative and inspiring. Episode 4 of ‘Sustainably UC Davis’ explores how the university is moving toward a zero-waste future—from converting campus food scraps into renewable energy, to phasing out single-use plastics in food service. Featured in the episode are Joseph Yonkoski, Facilities Management superintendent of the...

At the UC Davis Student Farm, students bring sustainable food systems to life. In Episode 2 of 'Sustainably UC Davis', we explore student-led efforts in sustainable agriculture. Environmental and social sustainability remain central to the Student Farm’s mission, from organic practices to food justice. Hear about these topics and more from Colin Dixon, Director of the Student Farm, as well as staf...

From sourcing ingredients to sorting waste, sustainability is baked into every part of campus dining. Episode 3 of ‘Sustainably UC Davis’ highlights how Student Housing and Dining Services (SHDS) makes on-campus dining more sustainable—from procurement, to waste audits, to educational programming. Featured in the episode are Chamayo Yniguez, Director of Dining Operations; Samuel Orellana, Sustaina...

It's time for a new narrative for the ocean, one that reflects current scientific knowledge and acknowledges innovative new partnerships and solutions that center the ocean in our future. In this program, Jane Lubchenco, Professor of Marine Biology at Oregon State University and with expertise in the ocean, climate change, and interactions between the environment and human well-being, talks about...

Three major global challenges – climate change, loss of biodiversity and its benefits, and inequality and inequity among people – are typically tackled within three separate silos. However, scientific knowledge tells us that the three are inextricably linked. If the problems are not considered together, solutions to one may undermine solutions to the others. Moreover, more holistic, integrated sol...

Historian and political commentator Heather Cox Richardson joins UC Berkeley professor of law and history Dylan Penningroth in a timely conversation about the reshaping of the United States’ two major political parties. A professor of 19th century American history at Boston College, Richardson provides an incisive perspective on current politics to the more than three million readers of her nightl...

Does giving cash up front improve the health and wellbeing of people in poor communities? In this program, Edward (Ted) Miguel, professor of economics and co-director of the Center for Effective Global Action at UC Berkeley, talks about his work in Kenya on the impact of cash transfers on infant mortality, leveraging a unique large-scale census of local households’ birth histories. The findings pr...

What's behind the political and social transformation taking place in the U.S.? According to Mike Madrid, author, veteran political strategist and expert on Latino voting trends, it's digital technology and demographics. His latest book is "The Latino Century: How America’s Largest Minority Is Transforming Democracy." As part of the Helen Edison Lecture Series, Madrid covers a wide-range of topics...

David Hogg, co-founder of March For Our Lives and Leaders We Deserve, is a leading voice in the movement to end gun violence. After experiencing the 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Hogg emerged from tragedy to become a national figure, advocating for morally just leadership and increased voter participation. As part of the Burke Lectureship, Hogg...

As voters prepare to head to the polls on Election Day, join the Goldman School of Public Policy and Cal Performances for a critical look at the moment we’re in, the issues that have shaped and led us to this year’s tumultuous election, and the future of American democracy. UC Berkeley experts from former presidential administrations—Janet Napolitano, former Secretary of Homeland Security under th...

How did Ronald Reagan’s vision of the American Dream lead to Donald Trump’s success? Looking back to 1983, Diane Winston, professor of journalism and communication at the University of Southern California, discusses how evangelical religion, the news media, and social turmoil culminated in MAGA’s Second Coming. Winston shows that many journalists uncritically adopted Reagan’s religious rhetoric an...

This program discusses humanist and scholar Walter Capps’ political career and the ongoing value of public service. The panel discussion features four people who have all worked as public servants: former U.S. Senator and Nebraska Governor Bob Kerrey; Lois Capps, former Congresswoman who served as a U.S. Representative from 1998-2017 representing Santa Barbara and the Central Coast, Laura Capps, t...

Across the United States, homelessness has been on the rise. In California, there have been over 181,000 people without a stable place to call home—about 30 percent of the nation’s homeless population. During the COVID-19 pandemic, those numbers continued to rise as earnings dropped and the housing affordability crisis worsened. What interventions have prevented people from becoming homeless? What...

In this program, Robin D. G. Kelley, Distinguished Professor and Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in U.S. History at UCLA, examines how police in the neoliberal era–in tandem with other state and corporate entities—have become engines of capital accumulation, government revenue, gentrification, the municipal bond market, the tech and private security industry—in a phrase, the profits of death. Kelley ar...

The 2021-2022 term of the U.S. Supreme Court is widely considered to be the most consequential in living memory. Bruen, West Virginia v. EPA, Dobbs—the Court’s rulings in these controversial cases weakened gun restrictions, hobbled the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to fight climate change, and overturned the constitutional protection for abortion rights nearly 50 years after Roe v. Wad...

In this program, Professor Martin Hilbert, Chair of Computational Social Sciences at UC Davis, discusses AI and ethical policy-making. He looks at the tradeoffs between unimaginable wealth and existential risks, and new roles for human minds. Series: "UC Center Sacramento" [Public Affairs] [Business] [Show ID: 39708]

In this program, Professor Matthew Harding distills the current state of the economic literature on AI, explores the major industries in California that are likely to be impacted by AI, and considers gaps that could hinder California’s ability to manage and harness the potential benefits of an AI-led boom. Series: "UC Center Sacramento" [Public Affairs] [Business] [Show ID: 39652]

What role should AI play in the functioning of governmental processes? In this program, Michael Karanicolas, Executive Director of the UCLA Institute for Technology, Law & Policy, discusses the need for safeguards and guidance in using AI across the administrative state. It provides a straightforward and accurate assessment formula for agencies to assess whether or not algorithmic tools are approp...

What's the root cause of poverty in America? And how do we fix it? In this discussion, Matthew Desmond, renowned Princeton sociologist and author of "Poverty, by America," talks about why poverty persists in the U.S. with Marc-Andreas Muendler, economic professor at UC San Diego. Desmond argues we can end poverty through grassroots activism and a willingness to target systems that perpetuate it, l...

Hear firsthand from the women at the forefront of the regenerative food movement. From farmers to winemakers and scientists to chefs, learn why they are so passionate about feeding the planet without depleting the earth. Join us for this enriching discussion on conservation, biodiversity, soil health, carbon reduction, and more — all which can ultimately lead to a healthier food system, food secur...

California’s deepest problems — the skyrocketing cost of housing, the lagging development of clean energy, the traffic choking the state — reflect an inability of Democratic governments to build real things in the real world quickly and affordably. The result is liberal governance that routinely fails to achieve liberal outcomes. New York Times opinion columnist and podcast host Ezra Klein talks w...

This episode of TecHype features Yoel Roth, former Head of Trust and Safety at Twitter. Yoel provides first-hand insights into how one of the largest online platforms in the world built out its trust and safety operations to better ensure its service was helpful, harmless, and aligned with user expectations While at Twitter, Dr. Roth found himself the target of a coordinated harassment campaign on...