The Opportunity Institute is pleased to announce that it is the recipient of a research award from California 100, an ambitious statewide initiative to envision and shape the long-term success of the state. The California 100 research award, along with technical assistance from the Institute For The Future, will enable the Opportunity Institute to research and identify how best to improve the state’s fiscal policy over the next century. The Opportunity Institute’s fellows, Carrie Hahnel and Patrick Murphy, will lead the research team this summer, which will involve an extensive evaluation of California state fiscal policies and trendspotting.
“Too often in California and across the U.S. revenue and spending debates are solely focused on short-term goals of balancing a budget for a specific fiscal year. We are thrilled to be part of the California 100 Initiative and for the opportunity to shape the long term financial success and health of California,” said Murphy.
The project will combine a review of historical public finance data to develop a picture of where California stands historically, as well as relative to other states. The team will also interview state policy experts for their perspective on California’s current fiscal status to inform key insights into what could be expected in the future. The Opportunity Institute will also review fiscal policies through an equity lens, aiming to identify how the costs and benefits of state fiscal policy are distributed across all Californians, as well as recommend how to improve fiscal policies to better tackle inequities.
The research will be complete by December 2021, and will lead to a set of policy alternatives for the future of California. The policy alternatives will be developed in conjunction with research teams from 12 other issue areas, and will be coordinated by Henry Brady, director of research of the California 100 Initiative and former Dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California Berkeley. “We are excited to work with our research partners that are international experts in their issue areas,” Brady noted. “We will not only develop a comprehensive knowledge base on various policy issues, but we will also offer actionable recommendations for the California 100 Commission and the larger public to consider.”
The California 100 Commission is a multi-generational advisory body that will develop recommendations for the state’s future and test those recommendations across a broad set of policy areas by directly engaging Californians. Karthick Ramakrishnan, executive director of the California 100 Initiative, is tasked with assembling and engaging the Commission, and ensuring that the research stream intersects with the initiative’s other activities including advanced technology, policy innovation, and stakeholder engagement.
“From climate change, to aging populations and rapid changes in industry, California will face enormous challenges in the years ahead,” Ramakrishnan noted. “We are fortunate to be able to draw on the deep talent of researchers in California to produce evidence and recommendations that will inform robust public engagement and set the state on a strong, long-term trajectory for success.”
About the California 100 Research Grants
California 100 is a new statewide initiative being incubated at the University of California and Stanford University focused on inspiring a vision and strategy for California’s next century that is innovative, sustainable, and equitable. The initiative will harness the talent of a diverse array of leaders through research, policy innovation, advanced technology, and stakeholder engagement. As part of its research stream of work, California 100 is sponsoring 13 research projects focused on the following issue areas:
Advanced technology and basic research
Arts, culture, and entertainment
Education
Economic mobility, inequality and workforce
Energy, environment and natural resources
Federalism and foreign policy
Fiscal reform
Governance, media, and civil society
Health and wellness
Housing and community development
Immigrant integration
Public safety and criminal justice reform
Transportation and urban planning
For more information about California 100, please visit California100.org.