Skip to Content
Center for
Change lives. Change organizations. Change the world.
Follow us :
![[icon - facebook]](/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/icon_img_f.gif "[icon - facebook]"){kind=icon}
![[icon - twitter]](/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/icon_img_t.gif "[icon - twitter]"){kind=icon}
![[icon - LinkedIn]](/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/LinkedIn.jpg "[icon - LinkedIn]"){kind=small}
Government
Streamlining An "Expensive Democracy"
Nigeria's reform-minded central banker discusses government waste, austerity, and growth.
A new study finds that a different approach to food-relief efforts in the developing world could save more lives.
![[photo - Healthcare Reform]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/imagecache/img75x75/Healthcare%20Reform%20web%20214X199.jpg "[photo - Healthcare Reform]")
A group of scholars propose a plan that could put a brake on health care spending.
Research Resources
Costa Rica now exports 4,000 products and is working to attract more technology companies President Laura Chinchilla told a Stanford Graduate School of Business audience as the nation broadens its economic base from the focus on eco-tourism.
Resource: News Article
As Japan shifts from disaster relief to rebuilding, GSB alumni see opportunities for change and renewal.
Resource: News Article
Stanford Social Innovation Review: Summer 2011
Under the EPA’s Audit Policy, violators who voluntarily report themselves can get certain penalties reduced or waived if they commit to ongoing self-regulation…. But is that promise any more than window dressing?
Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article
Stanford Social Innovation Review: Summer 2011
Aid is increasingly focused on the “bottom billion” in extremely poor, mostly African, nations. But according to a new analysis, most of the world’s poor no longer live in these countries.
Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article
Stanford Social Innovation Review: Summer 2011
A look at what’s needed next to create the right policy environment for innovation and results.
Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article
As Japan shifts from disaster relief to rebuilding, GSB alumni see opportunities for change and renewal.
Resource: News Article
Calling education "the most important problem that we have to solve in this country," an official of the U.S. Department of Education warned that other nations are doing a better job than the United States of educating their young people.
Resource: News Article
Banker and philanthropist Tom Steyer says the idea of business doing everything perfectly without government involvement is "ridiculous." That's why he's fighting to convince politicians and CEOs that going green isn't a sacrifice, it's an opportunity.
Resource: News Article
![[photo - Clean Tech Energy]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/imagecache/img75x75/clean_energy.jpg "[photo - Clean Tech Energy]")
Streamlining balky government permit processes or convoluted global supply chains are just some of the challenges in the "Valley of Death" faced by fledgling clean energy firms, government officials were told during a Stanford forum.
Resource: News Article
Arab nations rocked by popular uprisings in recent months face complex, precarious, and often divergent paths toward establishing democracy, says Stanford democracy expert Larry Diamond.
Resource: News Article
Stanford Social Innovation Review: Fall 2010
With these seven levers, social entrepreneurs can foster change in everything from affordable housing to child welfare to poverty alleviation.
Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article
Stanford Social Innovation Review: Fall 2010
The way the United States determines who is poor and who is not—a measure based solely on the cost of food—is broken. A new approach is needed, one that measures poverty through multiple factors such as housing, transportation, and regional economic differences.
Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article
Stanford Social Innovation Review: Fall 2010
SERVING COUNTRY AND COMMUNITY: Who Benefits from National Service? by Peter Frumkin & Joann Jastrzab
Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article
Stanford Social Innovation Review: Fall 2010
Senior citizens don’t hesitate to speak up for their Social Security benefits. Why don’t poor people flock to the polls to make known their opinions on welfare? A recent study shows that experience with government programs directly affects levels of civic engagement.
Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article
Stanford Social Innovation Review: Fall 2010
THE CLIMATE WAR: True Believers, Power Brokers, and the Fight to Save the Earth by Eric Pooley
We are honored to bring you the last article written by one of the world’s most prominent climatologists, Stephen H. Schneider, who died of an apparent heart attack while flying from Sweden to London on July 19. The article is a review of the new book, The Climate War, by business journalist Eric Pooley.
Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article
With the election over, progressives have an unprecedented opportunity to make a difference.
Resource: Blog Post
Obama’s new spirit of service and giving should be a boon to the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors.
Resource: Blog Post
The Internet will increasingly be used to build momentum for social change.
Resource: Blog Post
BB&T decides to help with the bailout of the financial market.
Resource: Blog Post
Voting may be an efficient form of charity.
Resource: Blog Post
![[photo - Jeffrey D. Sachs]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/imagecache/img75x75/podcast_img/Jeffrey%20D.%20Sachs.jpg "[photo - Jeffrey D. Sachs]")
The financial crisis started on Wall Street but continues to have a profound impact around the world. Among those affected are the poorest of the poor. In this audio interview, Stanford MBA student Joy Sun talks with Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute and a professor at Columbia University, about how the financial crisis is shaping international relations and countries' paths toward economic development.
You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.
Resource: Audio
![[photo - Michael Spence]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/imagecache/img75x75/podcast_img/Michael%20Spence.jpg "[photo - Michael Spence]")
How have some developing countries managed to overcome poverty? What kinds of economic and political decisions have led to their success? In this audio lecture Michael Spence, Nobel Memorial Prize Winner in Economic Sciences, discusses what the Commission on Growth and Development has learned about the characteristics of nations that have been able to advance economically despite the recent global financial crisis.
You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.
Resource: Audio
![[photo - John B. Taylor]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/imagecache/img75x75/podcast_img/John%20B.%20Taylor.jpg "[photo - John B. Taylor]")
While Wall Street's role in the financial crisis is widely discussed, the government's role is often less well understood. In this audio interview, Stanford MBA student Joy Sun talks with John Taylor, a renowned macroeconomist and professor at Stanford University, about how government regulation and policy have shaped the recovery from the economic crisis and how they may prevent similar crises in the future.
You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.
Resource: Audio
![[photo - Edward P. Lazear]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/imagecache/img75x75/podcast_img/Edward%20P.%20Lazear.jpg "[photo - Edward P. Lazear]")
The future of financial regulation has been a topic of intense debate in the aftermath of the financial crisis. In this audio interview, Stanford MBA student Lisa Scheible talks with Edward Lazear, an expert on labor economics from Stanford, about how government regulation and policy have influenced the economic recovery and how they can prevent similar crises in the future.
You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.
Resource: Audio
![[photo - Ellen Goodman]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/imagecache/img75x75/podcast_img/goodman.jpg "[photo - Ellen Goodman]")
When it comes to aging baby boomers, "the personal is political" is still a strong rallying cry for people engaged in social enterprise. In this audio lecture, sponsored by the Center for Social Innovation, the ever-lively Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Ellen Goodman looks at redefining aging and how we may continue to make meaningful contributions to our families, communities, and country into the elder years.
You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.
Resource: Audio
![[Video-Al Gore: Leaders Must Supply Vision, Values & Goals]](http://img.youtube.com/vi/_AgERmsgevg/0.jpg "[Video-Al Gore: Leaders Must Supply Vision, Values & Goals]")
The Stanford Graduate School of Business View from the Top Series hosted former Vice President Al Gore where he spoke to over 600 students on leadership, solutions for the climate crisis, and sustainable capitalism.
Resource: Video
![[Video-A Behavioral Science Perspective on Why People Vote]](http://img.youtube.com/vi/aSrIkSNvsgQ/0.jpg "[Video-A Behavioral Science Perspective on Why People Vote]")
The investigation into what messaging motivates people to vote and the effectiveness of facilitating a voting plan during a presidential election.
Resource: Video
![[Video-Global Education Conference]](http://img.youtube.com/vi/FrNhJtL-4tM/0.jpg "[Video-Global Education Conference]")
Business and technological innovations are pushing education everywhere to the brink of great change. What is the potential for global education today?
Resource: Video
![[Video-Pharmaceutical Innovation ]](http://img.youtube.com/vi/GRXPq9ic1E4/0.jpg "[Video-Pharmaceutical Innovation ]")
What can pharmaceutical companies do to contribute to global health?
Resource: Video
![[Video-GSB Black Business Student Association Award Winner Jim Shelton]](http://img.youtube.com/vi/YyJeVSGbbts/0.jpg "[Video-GSB Black Business Student Association Award Winner Jim Shelton]")
James H. Shelton of the Office of Innovation and Improvement at the U.S. Department of Education won the prestigious Tapesty Award for 2011.
Resource: Video
![[photo - Picture: Stavins]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/imagecache/img75x75/podcast_img/pic-%20stavins.jpg "[photo - Picture: Stavins]")
What policy tools can the U.S. government use to get companies to reduce their greenhouse emissions and promote environmental sustainability? Carbon pricing, says Harvard professor Robert Stavins. Speaking at the 2010 Climate Policy Instruments in the Real World conference at Stanford University, Stavins explains how two instruments, carbon fees (taxes) and cap and trade, can be used to promote environmental responsibility, even though these mechanisms may be imperfect.
You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.
Resource: Audio
![[Video-Dr. Marcia McNutt: Conradin von Gugelberg Memorial Lecture Series]](http://img.youtube.com/vi/tPRwcsEfBS8/0.jpg "[Video-Dr. Marcia McNutt: Conradin von Gugelberg Memorial Lecture Series]")
How a team of scientists collaborated with the government to measure damage after the catastrophic Gulf oil spill in 2010.
Resource: Video
![[Video-Public Management Program Oral History Panel]](http://img.youtube.com/vi/YdOcWj9XE8s/0.jpg "[Video-Public Management Program Oral History Panel]")
In response to the historical events of the late 60's and the growing societal demands on business, the Stanford Graduate School of Business developed a pioneering vision for educating leaders who understand the world they live in and know to work across silos to accomodate the needs of both business and society. The founders of the Public Management Program share their motivations for creating the first program of the sort at a business school and why it is more relevant than ever today.
Resource: Video
![[photo - Picture: Shea]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/imagecache/img75x75/podcast_img/pic-sheas.jpg "[photo - Picture: Shea]")
Got a great business idea? Consider taking it to Chile, where the government is now offering $40,000 grants and one-year visas to help early-stage entrepreneurs develop their companies, through a program called Start-Up Chile. In this audio interview, Stanford Social Innovation correspondent Ashkon Jafari talks with Nicolas Shea, innovation advisor to the Chilean minister of economy, about the program's genesis, goals, and progress so far.
You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.
Resource: Audio
![[photo - Picture: Wolk]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/imagecache/img75x75/podcast_img/pic-%20wolk.jpg "[photo - Picture: Wolk]")
Cross-sector collaborations are increasingly being seen as a means to foster innovation and solve entrenched social problems. In this audio lecture, Andrew Wolk, CEO of Root Cause, argues that the time has come for what he calls social impact markets. They would focus on single issues within specific geographic areas, and foster ties among government institutions, nonprofits, and businesses.
You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.
Resource: Audio
Case Studies : All | Academic Cases
No Results Found
![[photo - John McMillan]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/imagecache/img75x75/mcmillan-john_9.jpg "[photo - John McMillan]")
Luis Moreno Ocampo, an attorney who had fought human rights abuses in Argentina, views corruption in public procurement as the next major human rights issue. He established a company to collect and distribute information on public procurements to make the entire process more transparent.
Resource: Academic Case
![[photo - George Foster]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/imagecache/img75x75/foster-george_1.jpg "[photo - George Foster]")
The San Diego Padres’ ballpark was the first integrated sports facility/development project ever attempted. While it proved to be a huge success for the Padres, San Diego, and taxpayers, there were many obstacles that had to be overcome.
Resource: Academic Case
![[photo - R. Bruce McKern]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/imagecache/img75x75/mckern-r_-bruce.jpg "[photo - R. Bruce McKern]")
India’s services sector had demonstrated that the country possessed the capacity to improve its global standing significantly. The question was whether India would capitalize on its success by addressing obstacles to growth, or miss the opportunity to enter the modern world.
Resource: Academic Case
![[photo - John McMillan]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/imagecache/img75x75/mcmillan-john_11.jpg "[photo - John McMillan]")
This case focuses on corruption in Angola surrounding oil production. It discusses the involvement of nongovernmental organizations, oil companies, and internal organizations, as well as the Angolan response.
Resource: Academic Case
Luis Moreno Ocampo, an attorney who had fought human rights abuses in Argentina, views corruption in public procurement as the next major human rights issue. He established a company to collect and distribute information on public procurements to make the entire process more transparent.
Resource: Academic Case
The San Diego Padres’ ballpark was the first integrated sports facility/development project ever attempted. While it proved to be a huge success for the Padres, San Diego, and taxpayers, there were many obstacles that had to be overcome.
Resource: Academic Case
India’s services sector had demonstrated that the country possessed the capacity to improve its global standing significantly. The question was whether India would capitalize on its success by addressing obstacles to growth, or miss the opportunity to enter the modern world.
Resource: Academic Case
This case focuses on corruption in Angola surrounding oil production. It discusses the involvement of nongovernmental organizations, oil companies, and internal organizations, as well as the Angolan response.
Resource: Academic Case
Research Papers : All
![[photo - baron]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/imagecache/img75x75/baron-david-p_24.jpg "[photo - baron]")
Social pressure plays a major role in determining corporate strategy and performance according to an award-winning paper coauthored by Professor David Baron. The researchers find that social pressure and social performance reinforce each other, greater social pressure is associated with lower financial performance, and financial and social performance are largely unrelated.
Resource: Research Paper
"Why do people trust, why can trust get us into trouble, and what we can do to protect ourselves?" asks Professor Rod Kramer of the Stanford Graduate School of Business. After looking at the financial industry he was surprised by "the level of abuse of trust throughout the financial industries: its magnitude, its pervasiveness, and its duration."
Resource: Research Paper
![[photo - A. Michael Spence]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/imagecache/img75x75/spence-a-michael_0.jpg "[photo - A. Michael Spence]")
This paper discusses key findings of the Commission on Growth and Development’s report. It identifies ways developing countries can grow and how to encourage private investment.
Resource: Research Paper
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina’s devastation, voters can look beyond political loyalties and carry the blame for the disaster into their next voting booth say researchers Neil Malhotra and Alexander Kuo.
Resource: Research Paper
What determines a nonprofit's engagement and lobbying activity? The authors argue that cross-sector competition and social change mission play an important role.
Resource: Research Paper
Courses : All
![[photo - Lawrence Wein]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/imagecache/img75x75/wein-lawrence-michael.jpg "[photo - Lawrence Wein]")
This course covers a variety of topics in homeland security. Among them are bioterrorism, influenza pandemics, nuclear security at ports and around cities, the biometric aspects of the U.S. VISIT program, the intersection of homeland security and immigration, and suicide bombings.
Resource: MBA Course
![[photo - Renee Bowen]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/imagecache/img75x75/bowen-tamara-renee.jpg "[photo - Renee Bowen]")
This course gives students an understanding of international trade economics, and analyzes the political processes by which international trade policy is determined. It combines lecture and mini-case studies.
Resource: MBA Course
![[photo - Daniel Kessler]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/imagecache/img75x75/kessler-daniel-philip_3.jpg "[photo - Daniel Kessler]")
The purpose of this class is to provide students with the economic tools and the institutional and legal background to understand how markets for health care products and services work. The class utilizes case studies, lectures, and visits from individuals in the industry.
Resource: MBA Course
Innovators : All
Ernie Ting helps voters find relevant information to become more engaged in our democracy with the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund.
Resource: Alumni
Steve Westly reflects on his years as a public servant, including State Controller and CFO for the State of California, and his candidacy for Governor in 2006.
Resource: Alumni
![[photo - Cynthia Dai]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/imagecache/img75x75/social_innovator_picture/cynthia_dai_cropped.jpg "[photo - Cynthia Dai]")
Cynthia Dai, MBA '93, joins panel redrawing districts for state government, Congress.
Resource: Alumni
![[photo - photo - Peter Ohtaki]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/imagecache/img75x75/social_innovator_picture/Peter%20Ohtaki.jpg "[photo - photo - Peter Ohtaki]")
As Executive Director of the California Resiliency Alliance (CRA), Peter Ohtaki has helped bring businesses and government together to improve disaster response and recovery.
Resource: Alumni
![[photo - Jeremy Sokulsky MBA '04]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/imagecache/img75x75/social_innovator_picture/Jeremy%20Sokulsky.jpg "[photo - Jeremy Sokulsky MBA '04]")
Jeremy Sokulsky is working with government land managers, environmental regulators and private conservation investors to restore Lake Tahoe clarity.
Resource: Alumni
![[photo - Medical Expenses on tax form]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/imagecache/img75x75/iStock_000008765997XSmall.jpg "[photo - image - medical expense section of tax form]")
Workers who earn just below the Social Security tax threshold receive a larger tax preference for health insurance than workers who earn just above it.
Resource: Research Paper
Ernie Ting helps voters find relevant information to become more engaged in our democracy with the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund.
Resource: Innovators
Steve Westly reflects on his years as a public servant, including State Controller and CFO for the State of California, and his candidacy for Governor in 2006.
Resource: Innovators
![[photo - Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/csi.gsb.stanford.edu/files/imagecache/img75x75/portugal_president_silva.jpg "[photo - Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva]")
Portuguese President Aníbal Cavaco Silva was in the Bay Area to meet with representatives of business, finance and education to encourage the establishment of closer connections with the institutions of his country. Not surprisingly, attention was focused on the European debt crisis and recent political events in Greece and Italy.
Resource: News Article
Cynthia Dai, MBA '93, joins panel redrawing districts for state government, Congress.
Resource: Innovators
