PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government
Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Jennifer Paluch, and Sonja Petek

September 2008

Some findings of the current survey:

• Three in four (76%) Californians say major changes are needed in the budget process. Forty-nine percent think it would be a good idea to lower the legislative threshold for budget passage from two-thirds to 55 percent.
• A record 44 percent of adults across all political party and demographic groups say that jobs and the economy are the top issues facing the state.
• A majority (55%) of likely voters oppose Proposition 8, the constitutional amendment that would eliminate the right to same-sex marriage.
• By 10 points, likely voters prefer the Obama-Biden Democratic presidential ticket to the Republican McCain-Palin ticket.

This is the 90th PPIC Statewide Survey and the 31st in the Californians and Their Government survey series, which is conducted to examine the social, economic, and political trends that influence public policy preferences and ballot choices. It is supported with funding from The James Irvine Foundation.