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Statewide Survey

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government

By Mark Baldassare, Renatta DeFever, Lunna Lopes, Dean Bonner

Some findings of the current survey:

  • Californians are starting 2015 on an optimistic note: majorities see the state headed in the right direction and are hopeful that elected leaders will work together.
  • Partisans are divided over whether the state should use its budget surplus to pay down debt and build up the reserve or to restore social services.
  • Californians support increased funding for higher education but also want existing funds to be spent more wisely.
  • Most Californians see crime as a problem in their communities, and a majority think that minorities are not treated equally by the criminal justice system—blacks are especially likely to hold this view.

Job Approval Ratings:
President Obama [PDF]
Governor Brown [PDF]
California State Legislature [PDF]
U.S. Congress [PDF]
Senator Boxer [PDF]
Senator Feinstein [PDF]
Their Own State Legislators in the Assembly and Senate [PDF]
Their Own Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives [PDF]

Time Trends of Job Approval Ratings:
President Obama [XLS]
Governor Brown [XLS]
California State Legislature [XLS]
U.S. Congress [XLS]
Senator Boxer [XLS]
Senator Feinstein [XLS]
Their Own State Legislators in the Assembly and Senate [XLS]
Their Own Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives [XLS]

Mood of Californians:
General Direction of Things in California [PDF]
Economic Outlook for California [PDF]

Time Trends for the Mood of Californians:
General Direction of Things in California [XLS]
Economic Outlook for California [XLS]

This survey was supported with funding from The James Irvine Foundation.

Statewide Survey

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and the Future

By Mark Baldassare, Renatta DeFever, Lunna Lopes, Dean Bonner

Some findings of the current survey:

  • While many Californians believe the state will be a better place to live in 2025, most (55%) think that today’s children will be worse off financially than their parents.
  • A solid majority of Californians think that state and local governments are not doing enough to respond to the current drought.
  • Californians are divided along party lines about extending the Proposition 30 tax increases, but there is bipartisan support for raising taxes on cigarettes and alcohol.
  • Most Californians think the state is not adequately funding public colleges and universities—but few favor paying higher taxes or increasing student fees.

Job Approval Ratings:
    Governor Brown [PDF]
    California State Legislature [PDF]

Time Trends of Job Approval Ratings:
    Governor Brown [XLS]
    California State Legislature [XLS]

Mood of Californians:
    General Direction of Things in California [PDF]
    Economic Outlook for California [PDF]

Time Trends for the Mood of Californians:
    General Direction of Things in California [XLS]
    Economic Outlook for California [XLS]

This survey was supported with funding from the Blue Shield of California Foundation, the California Postsecondary Education Commission Foundation, The San Francisco Foundation, and the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation.

Statewide Survey

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government

By Mark Baldassare, Renatta DeFever, Lunna Lopes, Dean Bonner

Some findings of the current survey:

  • Governor Brown leads Neel Kashkari by 16 points in the gubernatorial election; attention to election news and enthusiasm about voting is lower than in past elections.
  • Majorities support the water bond (56% to 32%) as record-high shares say that their regional water supply is a big problem.
  • Proposition 45, which would regulate health insurance rate changes, is down 9 points since last month, but the share considering the outcome as very important is up 11 points.
  • The share of Californians with unfavorable opinions of both major parties has increased since the last presidential election.

Job Approval Ratings:
President Obama [PDF]
Governor Brown [PDF]
California State Legislature [PDF]
U.S. Congress [PDF]
Their Own State Legislators in the Assembly and Senate [PDF]
Their Own Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives [PDF]

Time Trends of Job Approval Ratings:
President Obama [XLS]
Governor Brown [XLS]
California State Legislature [XLS]
U.S. Congress [XLS]
Their Own State Legislators in the Assembly and Senate [XLS]
Their Own Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives [XLS]

Mood of Californians:
General Direction of Things in California [PDF]
Economic Outlook for California [PDF]

Time Trends for the Mood of Californians:
General Direction of Things in California [XLS]
Economic Outlook for California [XLS]

This survey was supported with funding from The James Irvine Foundation.

Statewide Survey

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government

Some findings of the current survey:

  • Most Californians say the health reform law has had no direct impact. One in five say it has directly helped and a similar share say it has directly hurt them.
  • In the gubernatorial election, Governor Brown continues to lead Neel Kashkari by a wide margin; just one in 10 are very closely following news about candidates.
  • As more Californians see the drought as the state’s most important issue, the water bond (Proposition 1) has a two-to-one margin of support (58% to 29%).
  • A solid majority of likely voters support Proposition 47, which would reduce sentences for some drug and property crimes.

Job Approval Ratings:
President Obama [PDF]
Governor Brown [PDF]
California State Legislature [PDF]
U.S. Congress [PDF]
Senator Boxer [PDF]
Senator Feinstein [PDF]

Time Trends of Job Approval Ratings:
President Obama [XLS]
Governor Brown [XLS]
California State Legislature [XLS]
U.S. Congress [XLS]
Senator Boxer [XLS]
Senator Feinstein [XLS]

Mood of Californians:
General Direction of Things in California [PDF]
Economic Outlook for California [PDF]

Time Trends for the Mood of Californians:
General Direction of Things in California [XLS]
Economic Outlook for California [XLS]

This survey was supported with funding from The James Irvine Foundation.

Statewide Survey

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and the Environment

By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Sonja Petek, Jui Shrestha

Some findings of the current survey:

  • Two in three Californians support the state’s emissions reduction goals.
  • Strong support for cleaner fuels and energy declines if these changes would result in higher electricity bills or gas prices.
  • A slim majority of likely voters would support the $11.1 billion water bond; support for a lower bond amount is slightly higher.

Job Approval Ratings:
President Obama [PDF]
Governor Brown [PDF]
California State Legislature [PDF]
U.S. Congress [PDF]

Time Trends of Job Approval Ratings:
President Obama [XLS]
Governor Brown [XLS]
California State Legislature [XLS]
U.S. Congress [XLS]

This survey was supported with funding from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and The Dirk and Charlene Kabcenell Foundation.

Statewide Survey

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government

By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Sonja Petek, Jui Shrestha

Some findings of the current survey:

  • The share of Californians naming water and drought as the state’s most important issue has risen 13 points since last March.
  • A strong majority of Californians say the income gap in the U.S. is widening; six in 10 adults say the government should do more to reduce income inequality.
  • A record-high 65 percent of adults say immigrants are a benefit to the state; there is bipartisan support for immigration reform.

Job Approval Ratings:
President Obama [PDF]
Governor Brown [PDF]
California State Legislature [PDF]
U.S. Congress [PDF]

Time Trends of Job Approval Ratings:
President Obama [XLS]
Governor Brown [XLS]
California State Legislature [XLS]
U.S. Congress [XLS]

Mood of Californians:
General Direction of Things in California [PDF]
Economic Outlook for California [PDF]
General Direction of Things in the United States [PDF]
Economic Outlook for the United States [PDF]

Time Trends for the Mood of Californians:
General Direction of Things in California [XLS]
Economic Outlook for California [XLS]
General Direction of Things in the United States [XLS]
Economic Outlook for the United States [XLS]

This survey was supported with funding from The James Irvine Foundation.

Report

Paying for Water in California

By Ellen Hanak, Dean Misczynski, Jay Lund, Brian Gray ...

California faces serious funding gaps in five key areas of water management—including safe drinking water in small, disadvantaged communities; flood protection; management of stormwater and other polluted runoff; aquatic ecosystem management; and integrated water management. These gaps amount to $2 billion to $3 billion a year. But bold efforts by state and local leaders can pave the way to sustainable solutions for California’s critical water resources.

This research is supported with funding from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and the California Water Foundation, an initiative of the Resources Legacy Fund.

Technical Appendices

Appendix A. The Legal Framework
External Resource: Hastings Law Journal, Vol. 65: p 1603, Paying for Water: The Legal Framework

Appendix B. Estimates of Water Sector Expenditures, Revenues, and Needs

Appendix C. State General Obligation Bond Spending on Water

Appendix D. Using the Water Fee Model to Assess Funding Alternatives

Appendix E. Local Ballot Measures to Fund the Water System

Data Sets

Data Set: State General Obligation Bond Spending on Water

Data Set: Local Water-Funding Ballot Measure

Report

California’s Water Market, By the Numbers, Update 2012

By Ellen Hanak, Elizabeth Stryjewski

This report provides a check-up on California’s progress with two innovative water management tools: water marketing and groundwater banking. These tools are part of a modern approach that will enable California to manage its scarce water resources more flexibly and sustainably.

This research was supported with funding from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation.

Report

Water and the California Economy

By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Richard Howitt, Brian Gray ...

California’s economy can grow and prosper despite droughts and water shortages caused by a changing climate—but only if threats to the water system are addressed now. So far, innovative water management has supported the needs of a growing population but serious concerns remain, including water supply reliability and declining groundwater basins.

This research was supported with funding from the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation.

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