The Center on the Politics of Development (CPD) at the University of California, Berkeley promotes the study of the politics of developing societies by advancing collaboration among faculty and graduate students at Berkeley and connecting their research to central policy dilemmas.

The Center encourages rigorous mixed-methods research on development by funding programmatic initiatives, hosting visiting speakers and conferences, and sponsoring short- and medium-term campus visits by leading scholars. The CPD also partners with existing centers and programs on Berkeley’s campus—including the Center for Effective Global Action, the Berkeley Center on Political Economy, and the Institute of International Studies—to advance the study of politics and governance in lower-income societies.

Informed by the research carried out by our graduate student and faculty affiliates, the CPD develops public policy solutions and advocates for sustainable changes to the governance structure of developing communities.