David C. Wilson is the Dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley and a Professor of Public Policy and Political Science. His political psychology research examines how individuals formulate political preferences regarding race and justice, alongside how social cognition shapes survey response behaviors. His widely published work covers racial double standards, voter ID laws, leader blame attributions, and organizational diversity culture. He is also the co-author of Racial Resentment in the Political Mind (2022).

David is developing a democracy policy framework to help public policy schools guide local, state, and federal leaders. Data from his 2024–25 survey, the Political Psychology of American Democracy, reveals shifting civic beliefs, concluding that Americans lack a coherent understanding of democracy, which creates unmet attachment needs for belonging and relevance.