We are rethinking the conditions for genuine, widespread, and sustainable prosperity.
The Berkeley Economy and Society Initiative forges collaborations across fields to reframe the study of political and economic life. Hard questions are our starting point.
Learn more about the Berkeley Economy and Society Initiative (BESI).
The Latest at BESI
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Camila Gramkow: ‘Public Investment for Climate and Social Goals: An Agenda for Brazil and Latin America’
Gramkow presents a Structuralist economic model that combines three dimensions of sustainable development.
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BESI Director Paul Pierson Joins KQED’s ‘Forum’ for Discussion on Billionaires in the White House
Are we now a ‘broligarchy’? A record 13 billionaires could end up serving in Trump’s administration.
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Marion Fourcade: ‘The Ordinal Society’
Technologies of information management transform how we relate to ourselves and to each other.
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Brian Judge: ‘Democracy in Default’
Since the 1980s, liberal democracies have turned to finance as a way to depoliticize distributive conflict.
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BESI Director Paul Pierson’s ‘Partisan Nation’ Featured in Opportunity Now
Berkeley Political Economy program director Steven Vogel was also invited to share a book recommendation.
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Designated Emphasis in Political Economy Student Co-Authors Paper in Leading Poli-Sci Journal
Lobo and Brutger’s collaboration began when Lobo enrolled in Brutger’s political science graduate course.
Events Hosted by BESI
March 11, 2025
4-5:30 p.m.
Bakar Auditorium, Berkeley Hillel, 2736 Bancroft Way, Berkeley CA 94704 Don’t miss our headline event of the semester featuring The Atlantic’s Yoni Appelbaum and Jerusalem Demsas.Upcoming Events
Housing, Mobility, and the Thwarting of Economic Opportunity: A Conversation with Yoni Appelbaum and Jerusalem Demsas
Unhealthy Democracy: How Partisan Politics is Killing Rural America
March 20, 2025
4-5:30p.m.
820 Social Sciences Building, UC Berkeley
Join us for this talk with political scientist Michael Shepherd on the origins of the “rural health spiral” in America.
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The Habitation Society: Creating Sustainable Prosperity
April 9, 2025
4-5:30 p.m.
Social Science Matrix, 820 Social Sciences Building, UC Berkeley
You’re invited for this talk with Fred Block on his new book, “The Habitation Society.”
Read More >Designated
Emphasis (DE) in
Political Economy
BESI is proud to support the Designated Emphasis (DE) in Political Economy, through which doctoral students in various disciplines can expand their training in political economy and take classes across UC Berkeley departments.