Public Policy Institute of California

Public Policy Institute of California
Name	Public Policy Institute of California
Abbreviation	PPIC
Formation	1994
Founder	Don Shump, Roger Hedgecock, Bill James
Type	Think tank
Headquarters	San Francisco, California
Leader title	President
Leader name	Tani Cantil-Sakauye

Public Policy Institute of California

The Public Policy Institute of California is a nonprofit think tank based in San Francisco that produces research and analysis on issues affecting California and the United States. Founded in 1994, the institute engages with policymakers in the California State Legislature, the governor's office, and local agencies such as the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and informs debates in national forums including the Brookings Institution, the Heritage Foundation, and the Urban Institute. Its work intersects with topics tackled by institutions like the RAND Corporation, the Hoover Institution, the RAND and the Pew Charitable Trusts.

History

The institute was established in 1994 with involvement from civic leaders associated with entities such as the California Business Roundtable, the California State University system, and philanthropies like the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Early collaborations included scholars from the University of California, Berkeley, the Stanford University Hoover Institution, and the Claremont Graduate University Public Policy programs. During the 1990s the organization provided analysis relevant to events such as the Northridge earthquake recovery, the aftermath of the 1994 Los Angeles riots, and budget debates connected to the California budget crisis of 2008–2010. Over the decades PPIC has worked alongside researchers from the RAND Corporation, the Urban Institute, and the Migration Policy Institute on studies informing litigation like cases before the California Supreme Court and federal matters in the United States Supreme Court.

Mission and Organization

The institute’s mission emphasizes nonpartisan, evidence-based research to inform decision-makers in contexts including the California State Legislature, California courts, and municipal bodies such as the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors. Its governance model echoes practices at the Brookings Institution and the Kaiser Family Foundation, with leadership drawn from public servants, academics from UCLA and USC, former elected officials including ex-California Supreme Court justices, and private sector figures from companies like Wells Fargo and Chevron Corporation. The institute hosts fellows and scholars from universities such as University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, University of California, Davis, and Claremont McKenna College.

Research Programs

Research programs address subjects comparable to work by the Economic Policy Institute, the Hoover Institution, and the Pew Research Center. Major program areas have included water policy connected to the Central Valley Project and the California State Water Project, climate and energy topics relevant to the California Air Resources Board and the AB 32, fiscal issues tied to the Proposition 13 debate, immigration studies intersecting with rulings from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, criminal justice research resonant with reforms in the Los Angeles Police Department and decisions by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and education analyses involving the California State University and the University of California systems. Work has also explored housing and urban policy in relation to cases before the California Supreme Court and local zoning initiatives in cities like San Diego and San Jose.

Publications and Polling

The institute publishes reports, briefs, and blogs used by outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the New York Times. Its polling program surveys registered voters and public opinion on issues similar to polls from the Pew Research Center, the Gallup Poll, and the Siena Research Institute, informing coverage of events like California gubernatorial elections, the 2016 United States presidential election, and municipal ballot measures in Orange County. Publications have cited methodologies akin to those used by the National Bureau of Economic Research and the American Enterprise Institute, and the institute’s surveys are frequently discussed at forums hosted by the Milken Institute and the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Funding and Governance

Funding sources have included philanthropic organizations such as the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Annenberg Foundation, and corporate donors comparable to those supporting the Kauffman Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. Governance is overseen by a board with members drawn from law firms, universities including Stanford Law School and UC Berkeley School of Law, and financial institutions like J.P. Morgan Chase and Bank of America. Leadership transitions have featured presidents and board chairs with backgrounds similar to officials who served at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, the California Department of Finance, and the United States Department of Justice.

Impact and Reception

The institute’s research has influenced policy debates on water allocations, housing legislation such as SB 50-related discussions, and education financing tied to litigation like Serrano v. Priest. Scholars and commentators from the Los Angeles Times, CalMatters, and academic journals have both cited and critiqued its work in contexts comparable to critiques leveled at the Brookings Institution and the Hoover Institution. The institute’s nonpartisan claim has been evaluated in analyses by the Center for Media and Democracy and coverage by reporters from the Associated Press and Reuters, while its influence is evident in testimony before the California State Senate and advisory roles to governors and mayors including those of Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Category:Think tanks based in the United States Category:Organizations established in 1994