The Policy Institute is unique. We are not advocates for particular political positions; we are not obligated to focus only on our own research; and we are not consultants for hire. Our only agenda is to use our unmatched relationships, responsiveness, and resourcefulness to make sound research and meaningful policy inseparable.

As a gateway to all the intellectual resources of the UC system, we have a proven ability to tap into insights from a wide range of complementary institutes, world-class experts, and data. We are an agile, self-directed team with the capacity to be hyper-responsive in an industry often cuffed by process and procedure. We are uniquely well suited to bind research and policy together. We have more expertise in research analysis than most policymakers and more expertise in policy than most researchers. Compared to other academic-linked institutions, we have the strongest professional relationships with transportation officials in the State of California. 

Fundamentally, our role is to bring together and interpret credible, relevant, and timely information and analysis for those in a position to solve problems in our communities. Otherwise, policy risks being disconnected from the very communities it aims to serve. As a result, we see ourselves as a linchpin — the essential component that holds the various elements of the complex policy-making continuum together.