Only about one in four registered voters trust that government—either federal or state—will do what is right just about always or most of the time.

Since PPIC began its Statewide Surveys, voters’ trust in either level of government has never risen above 50%.

California’s registered voters have been closely divided on the question of how much state government they want, though their answers have varied over time. Today, 46% say they would rather pay higher taxes and have more services, and the same percentage would rather pay lower taxes and have fewer services.

There are partisan differences that have been consistent over time. Most Democratic voters prefer higher taxes and more services, most Republicans prefer lower taxes and fewer services, and independents’ preferences are less consistently on one side or the other.

An overwhelming majority of California voters say the government should not interfere with access to abortion—a view that majorities have expressed since 2000.

Across parties, majorities hold this view, although support among Democrats is higher than it is among independents and Republicans.

A majority of voters favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry. This represents a recent shift in attitudes toward same-sex marriage. When the PPIC Statewide Survey first asked the question in 2000, 39% of voters were in favor and 55% were opposed. The margin narrowed over the next decade until 2010, when 51% favored legalizing same-sex marriage for the first time. Today, a record 58% of registered voters are in favor, while 36% are opposed.

For many years there was a strong partisan divide on same-sex marriage, with majorities of Democrats and independents in favor and Republicans opposed. But Republicans are now closely divided (46% in favor, 49% opposed). Remarkably, Republican support has doubled since October 2008—just before the passage of Proposition 8—and has jumped 16 points since January 2013.