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Cal-in-Sac Projects Resources: Public Policy Orgs

This guide provides students in the Cal-in-Sac program with research resources to prepare them for their fellowships.

CA Government Agencies and Policy Organizations

Key California public policy research orgs

California Budget and Policy Center
The California Budget and Policy Center engages in independent fiscal and policy analysis and public education with the goal of improving public policies affecting the economic and social well-being of low- and middle-income Californians.

California Policy Lab  
A non-partisan research institute based at the University of California. Their mission is to improve the lives of Californians by generating evidence that transforms public policy. They focus on the following six policy areas: education, criminal justice reform, poverty and the social safety net, labor and employment, health, and homelessness and high needs populations.

California Research Bureau
Search CRB Public Reports. Reports may include the history of the issue, experiences and proposals in other states, case studies and examples, data analysis, and development of legislative proposals.

Legislative Analyst's Office
LAO has provided fiscal and policy advice to the Legislature for 75 years. It is known for its fiscal and programmatic expertise and nonpartisan analyses of the state budget.

Little Hoover Commission
Browse reports by subject. The Commission's mission is to investigate state government operations and – through reports, recommendations and legislative proposals – promote efficiency, economy and improved service.

Public Policy Institute of California
Dedicated to improving the quality of public policy decision-making in California, the Public Policy Institute of California provides high quality research and broad outreach programs to a wide range of California-specific topics.  Data, reports, and surveys on California policy issues can be found here.

RAND Corporation - California
A non-profit research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges.  RAND's research on California and its communities spans a wide analytical range, from health, education, and justice issues to military, security, and transportation.

Public Policy Research

PolicyFile (ProQuest)
Index to public policy in the areas of economics, politics, the environment, and social issues, taken from reports from a wide range of thinks tanks, Non-governmental organizations, international governmental organizations, and other institutions worldwide.

Policy Archive
(through 2011 only) Free, online research library of over 30,000 reports covering public policy across the United States.  Browse by subject or search by keyword.

Google Advanced Search Tips:

  • Use Boolean Search Operators: and, or, not
  • Use exact word or phrase 
  • Use the site or domain search option to limit to specific domains, like .org or .gov or ca.gov 
    Example: "affordable housing" policy california cities site:.org
  • Use the file type limit of .pdf , .doc, or .xls - policy organziations and governments typically issue their reports in .pdf format, and statistical information in .xls format on their websites.