This is the Harris School of Public Policy: Social impact, down to a science.

  • Policy is not about feeling good. Policy is about doing good.
  • Ideology, intuition, and experience alone are not proven sources for policy solutions.
  • Addressing today’s global, interconnected challenges—and reaping the opportunities—takes rigorous inquiry.
  • It takes serious people who can face the facts - to gather and understand the data of how things are - to make things better.

That’s why we’re here.

We believe there is a science to social impact.

  • Social science is the only proven path to better policymaking—to doing good. But not just any social science.
  • We work at the frontiers of data collection and analysis, using the latest technology and social science methods to design policies that work for society.
  • We conduct rigorous inquiry in an environment of innovation and risk-taking, fearlessly questioning the status quo. We collaborate across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, adopting new methodologies for better solutions.
  • We engage with our city, world, and leaders daily to evaluate and test our ideas.
  • And we lead with our passion for driving social change, knowing that passion alone does not equal impact.
  • With passion and precision, we figure out what’s best for society—and get it done.