Population

This multi-topic publication highlights the state’s most pressing long-term policy challenges in several key areas: criminal justice, economy, education, safety net, and water and a…
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The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated California’s recent efforts to reduce incarceration. Along with widespread protest after the killing of George Floyd, the pandemic has intensified…
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California’s economy has been hit hard by COVID-19. Between February and May 2020, the state lost more than 3 million jobs, largely erasing gains from…
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The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the importance of California’s safety net, which helps millions of low-income adults and children meet basic needs. It has also…
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The current recession threatens to deepen California’s economic divide and further reduce opportunities for low-income families, communities of color, and women. State policy actions could…
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When a crisis disrupts finances, California families may turn to CalFresh and CalWORKs. About half of children access one or both of these safety net…
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A landmark law (AB 705) has helped tens of thousands of community college students complete the courses necessary for transfer to a four-year college. But…
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Students who take more than four years to graduate incur added costs—from paying extra tuition to forgoing years in the workforce. This report examines how…
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