The Center for Governmental Studies (CGS) was an American
non-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
,
nonpartisan organization founded in 1983, which provided 28 years of policy research and recommended improvements to political and government processes 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 ...
. It created innovative political and media solutions like the web-based ''
Digital Democracy
E-democracy (a combination of the words electronic and democracy), also known as digital democracy or Internet democracy, is the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in political and governance processes. The term is belie ...
'' system to empower citizens and help them to become more engaged in their communities, state and local governments.
[Use of Community Metadata: Public Policy Research in PolicyArchive](_blank)
DCMI International Conference on Dublin Core and Metadata Applications; September 2010 CGS identified policy problems, conducted factual and legal research, built consensus for reforms, drafted model laws, shaped public opinion, educated the public and communicated with elected and opinion leaders. CGS ceased operations in 2011.
CGS developed a reputation for working across party lines and bringing together political leaders from
both parties on projects that influenced legislation, campaign finance reporting and political discourse in California.
[Carla Marinucci]
"California’s landmark Center for Governmental Studies to close — victim of “polarized” politics, economy"
''San Francisco Chronicle
The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The ...
'', October 14, 2011.["Finances force Calif. gov't reform group to close"](_blank)
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...
at ''Bloomberg Businessweek
''Bloomberg Businessweek'', previously known as ''BusinessWeek'', is an American weekly business magazine published fifty times a year. Since 2009, the magazine is owned by New York City-based Bloomberg L.P. The magazine debuted in New York City ...
'', October 14, 2011. During its active years, CGS pursued efforts such as
campaign finance reform, state budget reform, and higher education funding and reform,
as well as supplying fresh, analysis and data-based perspectives on issues such as
term limits,
ballot proposition
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
s, and
open primaries
Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...
.
In October 2011, the organization announced that it would be closing on October 20, 2011. The announcement cited a decline in funding, which the organization attributed to both the poor economy and a "dramatically polarized political environment", as reasons for the decision. The organization's founders, Bob Stern and Tracy Westen, were reportedly in negotiations with
Claremont Graduate University to provide a base of operations.
Legacy
In 1991, CGS established
The California Channel
The California Channel or CalChannel was a public service news television channel funded by the California Cable Television Association.
History
The channel started out by operating every weekday from 9:00am to 3:30pm; broadcasting proceedings of ...
, which it described as "the nation's largest satellite-fed, public affairs cable television channel, now serving close to six million homes with gavel-to-gavel coverage of the state legislature’s floor sessions and committee hearings, governor's press conferences and occasional
California supreme Court
The Supreme Court of California is the highest and final court of appeals in the courts of the U.S. state of California. It is headquartered in San Francisco at the Earl Warren Building, but it regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sac ...
oral arguments, and operated 24 hours a day by the California Cable Television Association."
CGS maintains
PolicyArchive as a free public resource. It is a searchable digital archive of global, non-partisan
public policy
Public policy is an institutionalized proposal or a decided set of elements like laws, regulations, guidelines, and actions to solve or address relevant and real-world problems, guided by a conception and often implemented by programs. Public p ...
research. Its stated goal, "Ultimately, PolicyArchive will indefinitely preserve the life of public policy research, substantially increase its impact, and provide society at large with long-term access to the benefits of that important research." In 2008, CGS collected and bundled "Presidential Advisory '08", public policy recommendations from more than 20
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 ...
s, which it delivered to the new president-elect and also made them publicly available and searchable online. "The new policy collection emphasizes policy issues that currently dominate the national dialogue, including the economy, education, energy, foreign policy, healthcare, media, and national security. Think tanks from across the political spectrum have contributed their proposals to this collection, including
Better World Campaign,
Brookings,
Common Cause,
Center for American Progress
The Center for American Progress (CAP) is a public policy research and advocacy organization which presents a liberal viewpoint on economic and social issues. It has its headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The president and chief executive offic ...
, Center for the Study of the Presidency,
National Center for Policy Analysis
The National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) was a non-profit American think tank
whose goals were to develop and promote private alternatives to government regulation and control. Topics it addressed include reforms in health care, taxes, S ...
, and
Urban Institute
The Urban Institute is a Washington, D.C.–based think tank that carries out economic and social policy research to "open minds, shape decisions, and offer solutions". The institute receives funding from government contracts, foundations and pr ...
."
Funding
As a non-profit organization, CGS relied on both individual and foundation support. Major funders were listed on their website.
CGS Funders and Fact Sheet
Policy Archive; October 2011 Between 2008 and the close of CGS in 2011, contributions to the group dropped by 80 percent and expenses exceeded income by $1.6 million, according to government records.
References
External links
*
PolicyArchive.org
Center for Governmental Studies Funders
{{DEFAULTSORT:Center For Governmental Studies
Non-profit organizations based in California
Political and economic think tanks in the United States
Organizations_established_in_1983
Organizations disestablished in 2011