Carson Bruno

About

Carson Bruno is the Assistant Dean for Admission and Program Relations at Pepperdine University's School of Public Policy, where he oversees student recruitment, career services, and policy programming.  Carson is a former research fellow at the Hoover Institution who primarily studied California public policy, electoral politics, and public opinion. Carson has recently written and spoken extensively on California’s economic recovery, the economic and policy importance of Silicon Valley, California’s housing affordability crisis, the impact of public opinion on Sacramento policymaking, the effects of California’s one-party rule, and California’s drought and water system, energy portfolio, and climate change actions.  Moreover, Carson has explored pension, tax, and government reforms, how best to alleviate poverty in California, transportation issues, and California’s electoral scene.

Carson also examined domestic economic policy, tax policy, and the intersection of energy and environmental policy. His central interest is in developing market-efficient and effective policies that complement California public opinion and spur economic growth, advance personal liberty, and improve economic mobility within the state. Carson’s examination of national policy largely focused on its effect on state policy-making decisions.

While a research fellow, Carson was co-editor of Eureka, the Hoover Institution’s bi-monthly web periodical that discusses the policy, political, and economic issues confronting California and was a member of the Golden State Poll development team.  Carson has a monthly column on RealClearMarkets and has been featured in the Sacramento Bee, San Jose Mercury News, San Francisco Chronicle, CalMatters, Washington Examiner, OC Register, and Fox News. Carson was also a regular guest on the John Batchelor Show and the Commonwealth Club of California’s Week to Week Political Roundtable.

Before joining the Hoover Institution, Carson structured tax-exempt and taxable municipal bond issuances as a public finance investment banker, which gave him an in-depth look at state and local fiscal policy decisions. He received his master’s degree in public policy with honors from Pepperdine University, specializing in economics and American politics. He has a BS in accounting and business management, with special attainments in commerce, from Washington and Lee University.