Rose Institute of State and Local Government

What Rose Institute of State and Local Government does

The Rose Institute of State and Local Government is a non-partisan academic research institute founded in 1973 and operated within Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California. Its core function is to produce objective research on challenges facing California state and local governments, with particular emphasis on Southern California and the Inland Empire. The institute publishes the Rose Review journal, recurring research reports (including the California City Manager Survey, the Inland Empire Outlook, the annual Affordable Housing Report, and standalone studies such as Delayed Democracy and Framing The Future), and maintains the DataHub, a public repository of datasets on California elections, polling, and governance metrics. Research activities span elections, polling, governance and policy, California competitiveness, federalism, and Inland Empire regional studies.

The institute's underlying technology is built on traditional academic and data-analysis methodologies; the DataHub is the institute's principal digital platform, providing publicly accessible datasets rather than commercial products. There is no proprietary software offering, no mobile app, no API, and no AI/ML capability disclosed. Distribution occurs primarily through the institute's website (roseinstitute.cmc.edu), digital publication platforms such as Issuu, social media channels, and event programming including speaker series and the annual Housing Symposium co-hosted with The Olson Company.

The business model is non-commercial: all research publications and datasets are provided free of charge in line with the institute's educational mission. Funding flows from institutional support through Claremont McKenna College and from charitable donations routed via the CMC giving portal. The institute has no paying customers, no disclosed revenue, no funding rounds, and no external investors; governance rests with CMC administration and the institute's Board of Governors, with operational engagement from faculty affiliates, research affiliates, student research assistants, and alumni.

Name

Rose Institute of State and Local Government

Legal name

Rose Institute of State and Local Government

Website

https://roseinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Policy Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Education Policy Research Institutes & Think Tanks (EDADADAA)

Keywords

• Public policy research
• State local government
• Election research
• Civic education
• Political polling

Headquarters

HQ city

Claremont

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding: Primary funding from Claremont McKenna College as an official institute. The institute also accepts donations through the college's giving portal.
2. Research Publications: Research reports are distributed freely to the public as part of the institute's educational mission, not sold commercially.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Rose Institute of State and Local Government conducts non-partisan academic research and analysis on California state and local government, elections, polling, governance, federalism, and regional policy issues. It publishes periodic journals (The Rose Review), standalone research reports, annual surveys (such as the California City Manager Survey), and regional outlooks, and maintains a public DataHub with California election, polling, and governance datasets, distributing all outputs free of charge.

Product overview

The Rose Institute of State and Local Government operates as a non-partisan research organization producing publications and conducting policy research across multiple focus areas. Its portfolio includes periodic publications (The Rose Review), standalone research reports (Delayed Democracy, Framing The Future, Affordable Housing Report), annual surveys (California City Manager Survey), and regional outlook publications (Inland Empire Outlook). Research activities span Elections, Polling, Governance & Policy, California Competitiveness, and Federalism. The DataHub provides access to underlying research datasets. The organization does not offer a commercial product platform but rather publishes findings for government and policy stakeholders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Olson CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026The Olson Company, a housing development company, co-hosted the 4th Annual Housing Symposium with the Rose Institute, suggesting a strategic partnership focused on housing policy research and dialogue. The event featured at Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• California Forward: California governance and civic reform organization focused on improving state and local government performance. Comparable in California-specific governance reform focus and policymaker audience, though more advocacy-oriented than a research institute.
• UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies: UC Berkeley-based research institute conducting non-partisan research on California elections, public opinion, and state/local governance. Highly comparable in mission, California focus, and academic affiliation, and a direct competitor for the same policymaker and media audiences.
• Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC): California-focused, non-partisan policy research organization producing research on state and local issues, demographics, economics, and governance. Directly comparable in mission, geographic focus, and audience (California policymakers, media, public), though PPIC is significantly larger and better resourced.
• USC Sol Price School of Public Policy: University of Southern California school conducting research and training in public policy, governance, and urban planning. Comparable as a Southern California academic policy research institution with practitioner and policymaker orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Milken Institute: Nonprofit, non-partisan economic think tank based in Santa Monica that conducts research on capital markets, health, education, and regional economics. Comparable as a California-based policy research organization serving policymakers and the public, but with a broader economic development focus.
• RAND Corporation: Santa Monica-based nonprofit research institution producing policy analysis across economics, education, governance, health, and more. Comparable as a California-headquartered, non-partisan policy research organization, though far larger and federally contracted.
• Hoover Institution: Stanford University-based public policy research center that produces research on economic, political, and foreign policy topics with a strong California and national footprint. Comparable as an academic-affiliated policy research center, but operates at a much larger scale and with a broader policy scope.

Others

• Stanford Institute for Public Policy Research (SIPPR): Academic policy research entities at Stanford producing California- and US-focused governance and economic research. Comparable as university-based policy research with California relevance, though Stanford's broader national/international orientation differentiates it.

Regional players

• Claremont Graduate University Research Institutes: Adjacent Claremont Colleges research entities conducting policy-adjacent work. Comparable as a Southern California academic research institution in the same consortium (Claremont Colleges) with overlapping student, faculty, and donor ecosystems.

Emerging players

• USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy: USC-based bipartisan policy institute focused on state governance reform, civic engagement, and post-partisanship. Comparable as a California university-affiliated state policy research entity, though more politically branded.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/roseinstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/RoseInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rose-institute-of-state-and-local-government
• Instagraminstagram.com/rose_institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rose Institute of State and Local Government