Targeted Universalism: Policy & Practice

The Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society at UC Berkeley released a primer on the “targeted universalism” framework. This framework allows for new creative policy strategies to achieve universal access and inclusion. Developed by Haas Institute Director, john a. powell, targeted universalism spurs innovative policy design to solve enduring social challenges and can inform philanthropic strategies and cross-sector efforts. The framework provides a roadmap to design programs that can serve groups otherwise excluded while also improving outcomes for people in privileged positions as well. 

What is targeted universalism?

Targeted universalism sets universal goals that are then pursued by targeted policies to achieve those goals. Universal goals must benefit all groups concerned; however, the strategies to achieve those goals are targeted and based on how different groups are situated within societal structures, culture, and across geographies.

What does it look like in real life?

The report outlines one example of how targeted universalism shaped Seattle’s city-wide plan to create walkable communities with accessible sidewalks. The plan was developed with an understanding that some neighborhoods were in greater disrepair than others and would therefore have different levels of investment. Improvements to neighborhoods were prioritized based on equity measures including community data on income, car ownership, disability, and health. 

Why is this approach so valuable for today’s social change sector?

The authors state that policy design has “a growing feeling of unfairness and the perception that policy is a zero-sum game. If one group benefits, or benefits disproportionately, then other groups may feel left behind or overlooked. The insistence that government and other public institutions remain neutral is eroded by a sense that the government is taking sides or has taken the wrong side.” To effectively advocate for equitable public policy, philanthropy and nonprofits need strategies that overcome this “zero-sum” perception.

In today’s political and social climate, targeted universalism can “support the needs of particular groups, even the politically powerful or those in the majority, while reminding everyone that we are all part of the same social and civic fabric.”