The California Policy Center (CPC) is a conservative and libertarian public policy

think tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmenta ...

located in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. Based in

Tustin Tustin is a city located in Orange County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. In 2020, Tustin had a population of 80,276. The city is located next to the county seat, Santa Ana, and does not include the unincorporated community ...

, the organization specializes in union policy, pension reform, spending reform, and school choice. CPC was founded in 2010 by Marc Bucher and Edward Ring. It is a member of the

State Policy Network The State Policy Network (SPN) is a nonprofit organization that serves as a network for conservative and libertarian think tanks focusing on state-level policy in the United States. The network serves as a public policy clearinghouse and advises ...

, an association of state-based conservative and libertarian think tanks.

Policy activities

Union policy

The CPC represented a teacher in a case following the Supreme Court’s decision in '' Janus'', seeking to reject

United Teachers Los Angeles United Teachers Los Angeles is the main representative of certified, non-administrative staff in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Prior to 1970, primary and secondary school teachers in Los Angeles were chiefly represented by a local of ...

status as the sole bargaining agent for California teachers. CPC has partnered with groups such as Reform California, the Freedom Foundation, the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, and the

Mackinac Center for Public Policy The Mackinac Center for Public Policy () in Midland, Michigan, is the largest U.S. state-based free market think tank in the United States. The Mackinac Center conducts policy research and educational programs. The Center sponsors MichiganVotes. ...

in campaigns to reduce the power of California's unions. CPC has also joined with the

Center for Individual Rights The Center for Individual Rights (CIR) is a non-profit public interest law firm in the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the firm is "dedicated to the defense of individual liberties against the increasingly aggressive and unchecked auth ...

to challenge a California law forbidding public employers from speech deterring or discouraging union membership in any way.

Pension reform

CPC says that California's employee pension program places strain on the budgets of the state and of local governments. CPC has also analyzed how the state pension "defined benefit" style system and changes in the amount of the benefit have affected the state’s budget liability.

School choice

CPC supports increased school choice for students. CPC runs an organization called Parent Union, which supports parents in their efforts to choose the best school for the child. Parent Union has chapters in four areas of California- Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego.

References

{{Authority control Charities based in California Political and economic think tanks in the United States Education reform Conservative organizations in the United States