Policy Chats

UCR School of Public Policy
Policy Chats

Join us for chats with various voices in the public policy world about today's most pressing societal issues. This podcast is a production of the School of Public Policy at the University of California, Riverside.

  1. Climate Justice from an Intersectional Perspective w/ Osprey Orielle Lake, Exec. Dir. of WECAN

    3 DAYS AGO

    Climate Justice from an Intersectional Perspective w/ Osprey Orielle Lake, Exec. Dir. of WECAN

    In this episode, Founder and Executive Director of the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN), Osprey Orielle Lake, talks with the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about shifting the narrative on international climate justice using a feminist lens.  Thank you so much to our generous sponsor for this episode, the Wall Street Journal. Activate your free school-sponsored subscription today at: WSJ.com/UCRiverside About Osprey Orielle Lake: Osprey Orielle Lake is the Founder and Executive Director of the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) International, working nationally and internationally with grassroots and frontline women leaders, policy-makers, and diverse coalitions to build women's leadership, climate justice, resilient communities, and a just transition to a decentralized, democratized clean energy future. Osprey is the Co-Director of the Indigenous Women's Divestment Delegations, and actively leads WECAN International's projects — from various trainings and work to shift the narrative on climate justice using a feminist lens, to engagements at United Nations climate conferences — from frontline delegations, to campaigns such as the 'Women for Forests' program. Osprey was the visionary behind the International Women’s Earth and Climate Summit, which brought together 100 global women leaders to draft and implement a 'Women’s Climate Action Agenda', and co-founded the International Women’s Earth and Climate Initiative (IWECI), the precursor initiative of WECAN International. Learn more about Osprey Orielle Lake via https://www.linkedin.com/in/osprey-orielle-lake-4286bb12 Interviewer: Rachel Strausman (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Chief Ambassador) Listen to the video version via: https://youtu.be/c1TtUF1lm3E Music by: Vir Sinha This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: ⁠https://spp.ucr.edu/⁠  Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via ⁠https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast⁠.

    44 min
  2. OCT 25

    Is Gov. Keeping Up? The Digital Lag w/ Jennifer Pahlka & Lloyd Levine (Technology vs. Government Ep. 1)

    In this episode, Author of Recoding America, Jennifer Pahlka, talks with the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about government's current challenges regarding technology implementation and utilization. This is the first episode in our 11-part series, Technology vs. Government, featuring former California State Assemblymember Lloyd Levine. Thank you so much to our generous sponsor for this episode, the Wall Street Journal. Activate your free school-sponsored subscription today at: WSJ.com/UCRiverside About Jennifer Pahlka: Jennifer Pahlka is a senior fellow at the Niskanen Center and the Federation of American Scientists and a senior advisor to the Abundance Network. She founded Code for America in 2010 and led the organization for ten years. In 2013, she took a leave of absence to serve as U.S. Deputy Chief Technology Officer under President Obama and helped found the U.S. Digital Service. She served on the Defense Innovation Board, started by the late Ash Carter, under Presidents Obama and Trump. At the start of the pandemic, she also co-founded U.S. Digital Response, which helps government meet the needs of the public with volunteer tech support. She has received the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, and was named by Wired as one of the 25 people who has most shaped the past 25 years. She serves on the boards of US Digital Response, America’s Frontier Fund, and the Volcker Alliance. Learn more about Jennifer Pahlka via https://www.jenniferpahlka.com/ Interviewers: Lloyd Levine (Former California State Assemblymember, UCR School of Public Policy Senior Policy Fellow) Rachel Strausman (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Chief Ambassador) LINK YOUTUBE-ANCHOR Music by: Vir Sinha Commercial Links: https://spp.ucr.edu/ba-mpp https://spp.ucr.edu/mpp  This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/  Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast.

    1h 9m
  3. WRCOG Exec. Dir. Kurt Wilson: State and Regional Perspectives on California’s Criminal Legal System

    OCT 18

    WRCOG Exec. Dir. Kurt Wilson: State and Regional Perspectives on California’s Criminal Legal System

    In this episode, Executive Director of the Western Riverside Council of Governments Kurt Wilson talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about community development, disproportionate minority contact deficiencies within the criminal legal system, and regional governance and collaboration.    About Kurt Wilson: Dr. Kurt Wilson serves as the Executive Director of the Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG), bringing over 25 years of local government leadership experience. A native of the Inland Empire, Dr. Wilson has held senior management roles in five cities across the West Coast and served in both state and federal capacities, including two gubernatorial appointments from former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. His career highlights include guiding the City of Stockton through a financial recovery from bankruptcy to becoming one of the most fiscally healthy large cities in the U.S. Dr. Wilson is also an educator, teaching courses in public policy and government operations, and has held leadership roles such as Vice President of the California affiliate of the International City and County Management Association.  Learn more about Kurt Wilson via https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurt-wilson/ Podcast Highlights: "There was a time in our history... that once someone is convicted of doing something, we sort of throw them away... and then when they come out, having been in that environment, we're somehow surprised that things didn't get better." -       Kurt Wilson on the topic of the evolution of reintegration processes into society, post-incarceration.  "A lot of equity efforts fail because they're presented in a way where there's a clear winner and subsequently a clear loser. The person who feels as if they're being attacked, or that they're likely to lose is inherently going to push back. We see that in issues of race, we see that in issues of policing, all of our social issues, it's a very similar theme where we're not starting from the same place. By understanding that from the get-go, you're able to come up with some concepts to make a little bit more sense." -       Kurt Wilson on the topic of equity efforts and how framing can affect public perception of key issues.   Guest: Kurt Wilson (Executive Director, Western Riverside Council of Governments) Interviewers: Rachel Strausman (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Chief Ambassador) Esa Hasan (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Ambassador) Music by: C Codaine https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Minimal_1625 https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Phase Commercial Links: https://spp.ucr.edu/ba-mpphttps://spp.ucr.edu/mpp  This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/ Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast.

    35 min
  4. UN Sr. Policy Advisor Manav Sachdeva: International Policy, From Conflict to Stability

    MAY 31

    UN Sr. Policy Advisor Manav Sachdeva: International Policy, From Conflict to Stability

    In this episode, United Nations Senior Policy Advisor Manav Sachdeva talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about his insights from his decorated career in international policy and how he works to help countries navigate from conflict to stability.   About Manav Sachdeva: Manav Sachdeva is a senior policy advisor and emergency expert personnel deployed at short notice for the United Nations Development Programme. He has worked for the UN and UNDP in several capacities since 2007 including as programme specialist for Asia Pacific and Arab States, Development consultant, senior advisor to Afghanistan UNWOMEN, and as a proposal writing consultant for UNDP Somalia. Manav’s cross-border cooperation and peace/stabilization missions have included, Afghanistan, India, Lebanon, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Guyana, Liberia, and Kosovo. He holds a graduate degree in Economic Development and State/Society structural relations from Columbia University and academic research experience with Harvard University. Podcast Highlights:   “The more you get knowledge of places on the ground, [and] the more you [hear] the stories about them, [you learn that they don't] have control over their own narrative... they have a whole set of issues that have not been listened to." -       Manav Sachedva on the topic of the importance of giving people the space to tell their own stories so they can advocate for what their communities need, especially in the Global South. “There are layers of suffering and we need to... listen. So the main thing I find in transition [from conflict to stability] is the mistakes we make when we don't listen…there is a cost to not listen in this line of work” -       Manav Sachedva on the topic of the importance of intentionality and learning from the locals when helping areas transition from times of conflict to stability.   “We did a project and we dug a well where we didn't even check if the ground were levels were good enough - people do silly things out of hubris. So, check yourself a little bit because if you do it with humility you will have such a happy life." -       Manav Sachedva on a project he worked on in Afghanistan and the value of maintaining humility when trying to help others.  Guest: Manav Sachdeva (United Nations Senior Policy Advisor)  Interviewers: Rachel Strausman (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Vice Chief Ambassador) Dinara Godage (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Ambassador)  Music by: C Codaine ⁠https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Minimal_1625⁠⁠https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Phase⁠ Commercial Links:⁠ https://spp.ucr.edu/ba-mpp⁠⁠https://spp.ucr.edu/mpp⁠  This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: ⁠https://spp.ucr.edu/⁠  Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via ⁠https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast⁠.

    33 min
  5. Panel: The Intersection of Mental Health and Criminal Justice

    APR 17

    Panel: The Intersection of Mental Health and Criminal Justice

    In this episode, Judge Magdalena Cohen, Jennifer Bender, Eric Stopher, Deborah Johnson, and Dr. Stephanie Brooks Holliday talk with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (or CARE) Act and the intersection of mental health and criminal justice in California.   Podcast Highlights: “We do what we can to make sure that coming out of an inpatient setting, that person is prioritized, to receive the services that they need, including medication. We have a whole host of outpatient clinics from the city of Riverside all the way to Blythe, and so really we try to work with that individual to provide them with the best of their needs. And it's individualized, whatever it's going to take… to keep that person stable in the community.” -       Deborah Johnson on the topic of ensuring that care is provided to individuals beyond hospitalization, helping ease them with their transition. “It's a policy thing that has to be looked at, is how are we going to plan for those housing issues [that are so prevalent in California], not only in Care Courts, but in any other program that the state wants to have the counties look at, and even with LPS. And I think that that's not a problem, but something that Riverside is not unique to, but it's certainly more unique than some of the other larger counties in California.” -       Eric Stopher on the topic of how Riverside County is preparing to provide housing amidst a state housing shortage.  “Even though there are a range of services available, some of the limiting factors are having enough providers to be able to offer services to everyone who might need [them]. There's a lot of variation from county to county with respect to the resources that are available, meaning that a lot of times it feels like access to mental health services can really be determined by the zip code that you live in.” -       Dr. Stephanie Brooks Holliday on the topic of geographic barriers to resources.  Guests: Judge Magdalena Cohen (Judge, Riverside Superior Court) Jennifer Bender (Deputy Public Defender, Riverside County Public Defender’s Office) Eric Stopher (Deputy County Counsel, County of Riverside) Deborah Johnson (Director of Innovation/Integration, Riverside University Health System - Behavioral Health) Dr. Stephanie Brooks Holliday (Senior Behavioral Scientist; Professor of Policy Analysis, Pardee RAND Graduate School)  Interviewer: Rachel Strausman (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Vice Chief Ambassador)  Music by: C Codainehttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Minimal_1625https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/PhaseCommercial Links:spp-ikhrata.eventbrite.com bit.ly/spp-ikhratahttps://spp.ucr.edu/ba-mpp https://spp.ucr.edu/mpp  This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/ Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast.

    52 min
  6. Asm. Sabrina Cervantes: Voting and Campaign Transparency

    MAR 11

    Asm. Sabrina Cervantes: Voting and Campaign Transparency

    In this episode, California State Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about election policies and civic engagement.   About Sabrina Cervantes: Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes was elected in November 2016 and represents California’s 58th Assembly District. Assemblymember Cervantes earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of California, Riverside and completed an executive education program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. She currently serves as Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, leading a record-breaking 35 legislative members, which also includes a historic number of 21 Latinas. The first Latina Millennial elected to the State Assembly, she is currently a member of the Human Rights Campaign and serves on the Advisory Board for the University of California, Riverside (UCR) School of Public Policy.  Learn more about Sabrina Cervantes via https://a58.asmdc.org/biography  Podcast Highlights:   “One thing that I have  learned, being the first Latina millennial to represent us here in the legislature... [is that] bringing these experiences to these positions of power and advocacy and having a seat at the table, that's what drives good public policy, that we each have something to bring to the table. No matter your background, no matter your experience, that's what makes the difference in the future of our communities.” -      Sabrina Cervantes on how diverse individual experiences drive good public policy.  “In 2021, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors voted by a vote of 4 to 1 to adopt a Supervisorial district map for the 2020 round of redistricting that was really fraught with a lot of controversy. Many individuals, organizations, and elected leaders really noted that it fractured the Latino community within our county. That means it dilutes the Latino voting power and their capacity to elect a representative of their choice. And so this failure to protect voting rights and comply with state and federal law underscores the need for an independent redistricting commission to draw fair maps for Riverside County. That is why we got to work on AB 1307 [to allow] truly independent and unbiased citizens who are empowered to draw supervisorial districts for Riverside County.” -       Sabrina Cervantes on the importance of electing an independent citizen’s redistricting board for Riverside County. “Even in these positions of power as a woman of color and just a minority, we are still not the majority. When I step into rooms, oftentimes I'm still the only woman or woman of color, whether that's locally or whether that's in Sacramento. And we are changing that paradigm by electing more women and people of all different backgrounds. And I just really always encourage folks to lean in with the experiences that you bring to create that positive change and that ripple effect that will come with it.” -       Sabrina Cervantes on increasing diversity within the elected representatives.  Guest: Sabrina Cervantes (California State Assemblymember)  Interviewers: Rachel Strausman (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Vice Chief Ambassador) Joseph Anastacio (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Ambassador)  Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/57h7hjkC6ME Music by: C Codainehttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Minimal_1625https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/PhaseCommercial Links: https://bit.ly/spp-homeless-aid https://www.scipolsymposium.org/ https://spp.ucr.edu/ba-mpp https://spp.ucr.edu/mpp  This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/ Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast.

    31 min
  7. Sen. Smallwood-Cuevas: SB 150: Creating a More Equitable Workforce

    FEB 20

    Sen. Smallwood-Cuevas: SB 150: Creating a More Equitable Workforce

    In this episode, California State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about increasing equity and job quality with the groundbreaking California Senate Bill 150.   About Lola Smallwood-Cuevas: Since graduating from the California State University at Hayward, Lola Smallwood-Cuevas has had an influential career, working with the Newspaper Guild before co-founding the Los Angeles Black Worker Center. She later went on to become the Project Director for the UCLA Labor Center, where she directed the Center for the Advancement of Racial Equity (CARE) at Work, before becoming California State Senator in 2022, representing the 28th District. Learn more about Lola Smallwood-Cuevas via https://sd28.senate.ca.gov/biography Podcast Highlights:   “Far too many of our families are living in poverty, far too many of our families are facing homelessness, food insecurity, and the only way we can transform that is through quality work and particularly working with our union partners and our education partners.” -       California State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas on the topic of the necessity of collaboration to achieve meaningful progress for working-class families.  “Our bill ensures that every project that we are building through these climate resiliency funds are built with community benefits agreements and project labor agreements... Our intention is that all of the work, including the manufacturing, will also be supported by this policy... because at the end of the day, our state only does well when all of the workers in our state are doing well." -       California State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas on the topic of the relationship between the success of California workers and the success of the state as a collective.  "We have tremendous state agencies that have tremendous resources, some of the most creative minds in this state. And our job [as legislators] is to make sure that we are bringing them to the table, and we're breaking down their silos so that they can come together, share information, maximize their capacity, and do the work that the people of California needs them to do." -       California State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas on the topic of the role of legislators in supporting individuals to make change.  Guest: Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (California State Senator)  Interviewers: Raiyan Kalam (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Chief Ambassador) Dinara Godage (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Ambassador)  Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/9ukTHtM-Tcs Music by: C Codainehttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Minimal_1625https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/PhaseCommercial Links:CARE Act Live Podcast Recording: https://presley-care.eventbrite.com/ Violeta Aguilar-Wyrick Community Seminar: https://spp-aguilar-wyrick.eventbrite.com/, https://bit.ly/spp-aguilar-wyrick UCR School of Public Policy MPP Program: https://spp.ucr.edu/ba-mpp, https://spp.ucr.edu/mpp  This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/ Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast.

    39 min
  8. Bob Mendez: Middle Income Families and Unintended Policy Consequences

    JAN 30

    Bob Mendez: Middle Income Families and Unintended Policy Consequences

    In this episode, Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce Chairman of the Board Bob Mendez talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about policies that impact middle income families, and how we can alter existing policies to create a better environment for them to thrive.   About Bob Mendez:A former member of the US Navy, Bob Mendez has had a decorated career in finance, having worked at Merrill Lynch Smith Barney, and Morgan Stanley. He also is actively involved in his community as Chairman of the Board for the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce, Chairperson on Budget Engagement Commission for the City of Riverside, and a member of the Honorary Commanders - a civilian organization that supports the March Air Reserve Base.Learn more about Bob Mendez via https://www.raymondjames.com/rlmwealthgroup/about-us/bio?_=bob.mendez  Podcast Highlights:  “When we look at middle-income families as a whole in our society, they provide us with a source of economic stability in that they generally make up the largest portion of the workforce. They can provide a steady stream of local income and taxes as well. And it's critical, especially for any local economy like here in Riverside, which [needs to be able to demonstrate they have a stable workforce] in order to be able to effectively borrow. Plus, they provide consumer spending, which is critical for our local businesses…” -       Bob Mendez on the topic of the value middle income families bring to local families.  “The California Environmental Quality Act, is designed to protect our environment. So, I understand the need for CEQA and I like some aspects of it, but there are certain things that could easily be tweaked in order to help, especially suffering middle income families. It's my understanding that, when a developer is looking to build a housing unit, there is approximately $40,000 to $50,000 of cost associated with just regulations that go into the building of just one unit. And we could make simple, I think, adjustments there [so that middle income families can have access to housing they can afford].“ -       Bob Mendez on the unintended consequences policies such as CEQA bring forth, despite good intentions. “I always say it comes down to three things, and it's jobs, jobs, and jobs. You know, we really need to come together, you know, in terms of being able to all move in the right direction to produce good paying jobs for individuals. You know, we just really have to break down all these silos between the city, the county, even our institutions of higher education, and the chamber, you know, where we all work collectively together for the betterment of our community." -      Bob Mendez on the importance of collaboration between sectors to create jobs and effective change.  Guest: Bob Mendez (Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce Chairman of the Board )  Interviewers: Rachel Strausman (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Vice Chief Ambassador) Pia Prashanth (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Ambassador)  Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/AoX6HO_K8AY?si=aH7l4IouhnzmuSkt Music by: C Codainehttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Minimal_1625https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/PhaseCommercial Links:https://spp.ucr.edu/ba-mpphttps://spp.ucr.edu/mpp  This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/  Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast.

    27 min

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Join us for chats with various voices in the public policy world about today's most pressing societal issues. This podcast is a production of the School of Public Policy at the University of California, Riverside.

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