Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Alyssa Dykman, Lunna Lopes Oct 24, 2018 Key findings from the current survey: Gavin Newsom remains ahead of John Cox in the governor’s race; Dianne Feinstein continues to lead Kevin de León in the race for US Senate. Two closely watched ballot initiatives—Prop 6, which would repeal recent gas tax increases, and Prop 10, which would expand local rent control authority—are trailing. A majority of likely voters favor the Democratic candidate in their US House district—and Democrats are more likely than Republicans to be enthusiastic about voting.
Report How Living Wage Laws Affect Low-Wage Workers and Low-Income Families By David Neumark Mar 1, 2002 Since 1994, nearly 40 cities in the United States have passed living wage ordinances. These ordinances mandate that businesses under contract with the city, and in some cases businesses receiving assistance from the city, pay employees a wage sufficient to lift their families out of poverty. This report examines the actual experiences of cities implementing such laws, focusing in particular on the following questions: Do living wage laws raise wages for at least some low-wage workers? Are wage gains for low-wage workers offset by either reductions in employment or the amount of hours worked as employers seek to accommodate the additional labor costs? Do living wage laws achieve their stated policy objective of improving economic outcomes for low-income families? Do the laws reduce urban poverty? Given the stated antipoverty goal of living wage campaigns, why do the laws generally restrict coverage to city contractors, rather than imposing wage floors for broad groups of workers?
California Counts, Report At Home and in School: Racial and Ethnic Gaps in Educational Preparedness By Jennifer Y. Cheng Nov 1, 2001 Looks at conditions from early childhood through high school that contribute to or indicate educational achievement, focusing in particular on differences across racial/ethnic groups. Finds that by almost every indicator, Hispanic and black children are at a disadvantage when compared to white and Asian children.
Occasional Paper, Report Patterns of Work Participation in CalWORKs By Caroline Danielson Dec 12, 2006 This Occasional Paper examines data for the period 2001-2004 submitted by states as evidence of their compliance with federal requirements in order to gain insight into the portion of the CalWORKs caseload required to participate in federally-approved activities, and especially those not meeting work participation requirements. It focuses solely on the single-parent caseload.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Alyssa Dykman, Rachel Lawler Mar 27, 2019 Key findings from the current survey: Two-thirds of Californians—a record high—say housing affordability is a big problem in their region; seven in ten support Governor Newsom’s spending plan to boost housing production. Majorities favor Newsom’s budget proposals to combat wildfires (83%) and expand the state earned income tax credit (73%). Most Californians disapprove of the federal tax overhaul that took effect in 2018 and say they pay more in state and local taxes than they should.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Renatta DeFever, Lunna Lopes, Dean Bonner Oct 22, 2014 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.
Report Climate Change and California’s Public Health Institutions By Louise Bedsworth Nov 17, 2008 Climate change is expected to have significant impacts on public health in California. The direct effect will likely be an increase in heat-related morbidity and mortality. In addition, climate change could worsen air quality, alter the incidence and transmission of vector-borne illness, and increase the risk of large wildfires. Public health officials recognize the risks associated with climate change, but feel that they lack the information and resources to adapt to the new challenges. This report was prepared as part of the Preparing California for a Changing Climate project.
Report California’s Welfare Recipients: Family Circumstances, Income, and Time on Aid among CalWORKs Families By Caroline Danielson May 8, 2012 What does a typical CalWORKs family look like? This report provides key details on some of the state’s most vulnerable residents.
Report Sanctions and Time Limits in California’s Welfare Program By Deborah Reed, Caroline Danielson Apr 6, 2009 In an effort to boost the share of adults on welfare who work, the state has considered proposals to further reduce or eliminate payments to those receiving aid through CalWORKs—the state's welfare program for needy families—who don't work or seek work. This report examines possible effects of these stricter sanctions. The findings suggest that in general, the state's work participation rate could rise, the welfare caseload could shrink, and the poverty rate among children would not be greatly affected if stricter sanctions were adopted.
California Counts, Report California’s Young Children: Demographic, Social, and Economic Conditions By Deborah Reed, Amanda Bailey Nov 1, 2002 Examines how the social and economic circumstances of California's young children vary according to race and ethnicity, nativity and immigrant generation, region, family structure, and parents' education and workforce participation. Findings indicate that young children in immigrant families, who make up almost half the state's young child population, have the greatest needs but appear to be under-enrolled in current programs.
