May 19, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. PDT
May 20, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. PDT
During the Obama and Biden presidencies, an obstructionist Republican party was seen as the primary barrier to progress on core liberal issues. But in recent years, commentators from across the political spectrum have highlighted a myriad of problems — high cost-of-living, inability to build essential housing and infrastructure, public administration challenges — facing states controlled by Democrats. Some have suggested poor blue-state governance contributed to Trump’s presidential election in 2024.
What are the political roots of common policy problems facing blue states? What types of strategies can overcome political obstacles and move forward on core Democratic policy goals? More broadly, how can blue states become more positive models of solutions-based governance and shared prosperity? Join us for this convening as we work to better understand the contemporary challenges and opportunities of Democratic governance.
Co-sponsored by the Berkeley Economy & Society Initiative (BESI) and the Yale American Political Economy eXchange (APEX)
Sessions
Building coalitions in blue trifectas: opportunities and challenges
May 19, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. PDT
Panelists:
Arkadi Gerney, former Executive Director of the Hub Project
Collon Kennedy, Lobbyist at Colorado Communique
Kate Gordon, CEO at California Fwd
Vicki Been, Professor at NYU School of Law
Moderator:
Paul Pierson, Professor at UC Berkeley
Mitigating housing shortages and cost in blue states
May 20, 9-10:20 a.m. PDT
Panelists:
Alex Brennan, Executive Director at Futurewise
Annemarie Gray, Executive Director at Open NY
Chris Elmendorf, Professor at UC Davis School of Law
David Schleicher, Professor at Yale Law School
Libby Murphy, Director of Policy at Minnesota Housing Partnership
Moderator:
Jacob S. Hacker, Professor at Yale University
Decarbonizing quickly, affordably, and equitably in blue states
May 20, 10:30-11:50 a.m. PDT
Panelists:
Dave Weiskopf, Senior Policy Director at Climate Cabinet
Lara Skinner, Executive Director at Climate Jobs Institute at Cornell University
Sam Ricketts, Co-Founder and Partner at S2 Strategies
Will Toor, Executive Director at Colorado Energy Office
Moderator:
Samuel Trachtman, Senior Researcher at Berkeley Economy & Society Initiative