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Join us for an evening of food/drinks, discussion, and community as we watch live coverage of the 2026 midterm election results.

🎤 Tuesday, November 3, 2026 from 6-9 PM at IGS Library (109 Philosophy Hall).

Doors open at 5:45 PM. Seating is available on a first come first served basis. Flyer about a watch party featuring an American flag as the background and a ballot box on the right bottom corner.

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The annual Schaeffer Fellows Summit was held from June 24-28 in Washington, DC!

2026 Schaeffer Fellows convened to hear from peers about their internships across all levels of government, learn from public service leaders, connect with program alumni, and experience the capital together as a cohort. We were also glad to be joined by advisory board members and staff representatives from our five University Partners.

This year’s Summit theme, “The Next 250: Service & Stewardship for the Future”, underscored a simple truth: progress is not automatic. It depends on leaders who can articulate a compelling vision, communicate it persuasively, navigate complexity, and remain committed to shaping an enduring democracy. This annual gathering provides Fellows with a meaningful opportunity to build connections and reflect on their pathway in public service - this summer and beyond. #publicservice #governmentservice #schaefferfellow

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When the Matsui Center Fellows asked what drove me to public service, my answer was simple: optimism.

I believe America, while still the greatest country in the world, can always be even better.

Leadership means refusing to surrender to cynicism. It means bringing people together around the belief that a better future is always within reach. That’s how real, lasting progress is made.

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I sat down with fellows from the Matsui Center at UC Berkeley, and I left the conversation inspired.

The Matsui Center gives students the chance to learn directly from experienced public servants and build the skills to tackle our toughest challenges. And these fellows are making the most of it. They’re digging into the hard questions, like how to make government work better for people and how to serve communities that too often go unheard.

Developing new leaders doesn’t happen by accident. It takes mentors, opportunities, and people willing to invest in others’ potential. That’s the work the Matsui Center does every day, and I’m proud to be part of it.

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🎵 If America had a theme song for its 250th birthday... what would it be?

One of the questions we posed to the IGS community this spring invited students to imagine the soundtrack to America's semiquincentennial. Their answers ranged from hopeful to humorous, reflective to critical—much like democracy itself.

Throughout the semester, the IGS Library transformed a simple whiteboard into a space for civic reflection, inviting our community to engage questions about government, history, equality, and American identity.

What song would you choose?

#America250 #IGSBerkeley #CivicEngagement #Democracy #GoBears

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One of the best parts of this job is meeting young people who remind you why public service matters.

The inaugural Berkeley Pathways Fellows talked about what brought them to Washington, the work they’re doing in public service, and the difference they hope to make.

That’s why I believe in creating programs like this — so California students have the opportunity to pursue big dreams and help shape America’s future. As a proud alum, GO BEARS!🐻💛💙

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Spotlight on the Class of 2026! Amelia Monsour, a 2025 Schaeffer Fellow, graduates from the University of California, Berkeley with bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Sociology, with a minor in Public Policy. Amelia is one of six outstanding seniors selected from UC Berkeley and Stanford University to receive the John Gardner Public Service Fellowship to support ten months of work in a nonprofit or government organization. #classof2026

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As we reach the end of the semester, we want to take a moment to highlight our Spring 2026 Washington Fellows!

This semester, they are gaining valuable hands-on experience in policy, public service, and advocacy while interning in offices across Washington, D.C. 🏛️ As they reflect on their experiences so far, they remain committed to developing as future leaders and making a positive impact through their work.

We encourage you to read their posts and past UCDC fellows' blogs at the link in our bio! 🔗📚 (https://igs.berkeley.edu/newsroom/blog-igs-fellows-world/matsui-center-washington-fellowship-blogs)

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“The systems of checks and balances have to work, and the only way it’s going to work, is through the power of the people…so you all please…get engaged, and it doesn’t matter at what level; local, statewide, nationally, in your neighborhood…but engagement right now is the only option.”
- Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, 2026 Barbara Boxer Lecturer @mayorbarbaralee

This past Tuesday, The Institute of Governmental Studies and the Bancroft Library hosted the 2026 Barbara Boxer Lecture, which featured a candid, passionate, and insightful conversation between two iconic, pioneering California women leaders: Oakland Mayor, Cal alum, and longtime Bay Area public service leader Barbara Lee, and former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer. Throughout their conversation, Mayor Lee reflected on her trailblazing career across every level of governance while staying true to her activist roots. Both leaders gave impassioned appeals to the current generation to protect our democracy from efforts being made to undermine and dismantle our democratic system.

We are extremely grateful to the Mayor for taking the time out of her busy schedule to speak to the next generation of young public service leaders, to the former Senator’s continued support engaging and uplifting women leaders at all levels of California state and national public service, and for our campus partners in bringing this event together.

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IGS and the Bancroft Library are pleased to announce that Barbara Lee, Mayor of Oakland and Former U.S. Representative for California's 12th District, will be in conversation with former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer as the 2026 Barbara Boxer Lecturer.

The 2026 Boxer Lecture, "City, State, and Nation", will be a thoughtful conversation between Mayor Lee and Former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer with a focus on women in public service leadership, where they will discuss Mayor Lee’s distinguished lifetime of public service, including her leadership and accomplishments at all levels of government, what her experience has been since becoming Mayor of Oakland, especially in these turbulent times, and advice she has for the newest generation of public service leaders and for members of our polity who are concerned about the state of American democracy.

About the Speaker:
Barbara Lee made history in 2025 as the first Black woman elected Mayor of Oakland, bringing over three decades of public service from the U.S. Congress and California State Legislature to City Hall. Throughout her career, Mayor Lee has fought tirelessly for justice, opportunity, and the communities who need it most.

Oakland is her home, and she understands firsthand the challenges residents face. Since taking office, Mayor Lee has been advancing her vision to make Oakland the safest, cleanest, and greenest city in America. She leverages her extensive federal, state, and local relationships to secure real resources and deliver solutions to the city's most pressing issues - from homelessness to public safety.

Register at the link in bio!

#berkeleyigs #matsuicenter #bancroftlibrary #publicservice #boxerlecture #womenleaders #oakland #localgovernment 2026 Barbara Boxer Lecture: City State and Nation - A Conversation with Mayor Barbara Lee; Tuesday, April 7, 2026; 4pm-5:15pm; Banatao Auditorium, Sutardja Dai Hall. This graphic features Professional headshots of Mayor Barbara Lee and former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer.

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On the heels of the election of New York City’s first Muslim socialist mayor, my dissertation documents the formation of a Muslim Left in contemporary American politics. How was this political victory made possible by the mobilization of Muslim communities and organizations in the weeks, months, and years prior to the election? My dissertation aims to answer this question by tracing the nascent formation that has coalesced across spaces and issues, tethered by shared networks and a commitment to integrating Islamic ethics, theology, and practice into political organizing.

This Friday is the 2026 Percy/Synar Awards! Sarah Merchant, a PhD candidate in the department of Sociology will present “The Muslim Left in the Metropole: Islamic Theology and Progressive Politics in New York City.” Link in bio to register!

2026 Percy/Synar Awards
📆 Friday, February 27, 2026
🕛 2:00pm-4pm
📍IGS Library, 109 Philosophy Hall

#politics #igsberkeley #percysynar #ucberkeley #awardees

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In the United States, private property implicates individuals and local governments in immigration debates by creating multiple scales at which exclusion can be enforced. The consequences of this are especially evident along the U.S.-Mexico border, where overlapping jurisdictional claims challenge the federal government for control over the international boundary. Utilizing ethnographic and community-engaged approaches, Andrea-Lara Garcia, PhD candidate in the department of Geography, analyzes the experiences of key actors to understand how differing property regimes shape the political landscape of the Arizona and Texas borderlands.

Join us in 1 week for our 2026 Percy/Synar Awards and catch Andrea Lara-Garcia's presentation “Who Owns the Border? Property and the Politics of Belonging in the Arizona and Texas Borderlands.” Link in bio to register!

2026 Percy/Synar Awards
📆 Friday, February 27, 2026
🕛 2:00pm-4pm
📍IGS Library, 109 Philosophy Hall

#government #berkeleyigs #percysynar #awardees #igsevents

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