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Statewide Survey

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Higher Education

By Mark Baldassare, Jennifer Paluch, Dean Bonner, Sonja Petek

Some findings of the current survey:

  • An overwhelming share of residents (84%) say affording college is at least somewhat of a problem for students today – and 53 percent call it “a big problem.”
  • Latinos are the most likely (79%) to say a college education is necessary for success in the workplace. Only 55 percent of whites say the same.
  • A strong majority of Californians (65%) say that many residents who are qualified don’t have the opportunity to attend college.
  • Over half (56%) of Californians think that getting a college education is more difficult than it was 10 years ago.
  • A whopping 92 percent of Californians who have attended college think that getting a higher education was money and time well spent.

This is the 81st PPIC Statewide Survey and the first on the topic of higher education in California. It is supported by funding from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Statewide Survey

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government

By Mark Baldassare, Lunna Lopes, Dean Bonner, David Kordus

Some findings of the current survey:

  • Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are in a close race in the Democratic presidential primary; both candidates lead Donald Trump in potential November matchups.
  • Democrats Kamala Harris and Loretta Sanchez lead the top-two primary for the U.S. Senate, but almost a third of likely voters are undecided.
  • The Republican Party’s favorability rating has dropped sharply since December, while the Democratic Party’s favorability rating has held steady.
  • Most Californians and likely voters support extending Proposition 30 income taxes, increasing the tax on cigarettes, and legalizing marijuana.

Crosstabs:
All Adults [PDF]
Likely Voters [PDF]

Time Trends:
All Adults [PDF]
Likely Voters [PDF]

The survey was supported with funding from The James Irvine Foundation and the PPIC Donor Circle.

Statewide Survey

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government

By Mark Baldassare, Lunna Lopes, Dean Bonner, David Kordus

A majority of Californians disapprove of President Trump’s order banning travel to the US by people from six majority Muslim countries. And most support providing a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

Crosstabs:
All Adults [PDF]
Likely Voters [PDF]

Time Trends:
All Adults [PDF]
Likely Voters [PDF]

This research was supported with funding from the James Irvine Foundation, the California Endowment, and the PPIC Donor Circle.

Statewide Survey

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and the Future

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

Some findings of the current survey:

  • Californians show signs of optimism about the state’s future.
  • Strong majorities support spending reforms; smaller majorities support lowering the vote thresholds to pass state and local taxes.
  • Californians favor a "split roll” property tax but express record-high opposition to taxing services or increasing the vehicle license fee.

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 S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, The San Francisco Foundation, The David and Susan Coulter Family Foundation, and the Walter S. Johnson 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:

  • Obama and Biden lead Romney and Ryan by 12 points in the presidential race in California.
  • Just under half (48%) of likely voters would vote yes on Proposition 30; support is lower for Proposition 38 (39%).
  • Californians are much less pessimistic about the direction and economic outlook of the nation than they were in 2008.

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

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

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

Statewide Survey

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government

By Mark Baldassare, Lunna Lopes, Dean Bonner, David Kordus

Some findings of the current survey:

  • Californians are much more likely than adults nationwide to view global climate change as a very serious problem.
  • Two in three Californians say the state is divided into haves and have-nots.
  • Slightly more than half (54%) favor providing health care coverage for undocumented immigrants in California.
  • Half prioritize new ideas and a different approach over experience and a proven record in a presidential candidate.

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]

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

The Season of Our Discontent: Voters’ Views on California Elections

By D. E. Apollonio, Mark Baldassare, Jon Cohen, Bruce E. Cain

Over the past 20 years, two particular trends have emerged in California politics: Gubernatorial campaigns have spent increasing, record amounts of money—most of it on negative TV commercials attacking opponents. And at the same time, a growing percentage of voters have signaled their disaffection for negative campaigns by simply staying away from the polls. In this study, the authors use their findings from 10 surveys of over 20,000 Californians conducted during the 2002 election cycle to examine the disconnect between politicians and the public in California. The surveys show a high degree of dissatisfaction among Californians with their choice of candidates and the way campaigns are run in the state. They are highly supportive of campaign reforms, including candidate debates, public disclosure, finance reform, and pledges of campaign conduct.

Statewide Survey

PPIC Statewide Survey: Special Survey on the California State Budget

By Mark Baldassare

Some findings of the current survey

  • A vast majority of California’s likely voters (76%) view the state’s multibillion dollar fiscal gap between revenues and spending as a big problem.
  • Californians are fed up with the state’s fiscal fiasco, and they don’t trust the governor or legislature to resolve the problem: An overwhelming majority (68%) believe that voters should make decisions about the budget process at the ballot box, rather than abdicate that responsibility to the governor and legislature.
  • A majority of residents (69%) support raising the tax rate on the state’s top income bracket.
  • Most residents (73%) express concern about the effects of budget cuts in the governor’s plan.
  • Few residents (29%) believe that the Social Security program is in crisis, although 42% do agree that the program has major problems.
  • 46% of the state’s residents think that the Bush administration’s proposal to allow people to invest their Social Security contributions in the stock market is a bad idea.

This survey is the fourth in a series of special PPIC Statewide Surveys on the California State Budget and Fiscal System, begun in June 2003 and conducted in collaboration with The James Irvine Foundation. The intent of this series is to raise public awareness, inform decisionmakers, and stimulate public discussion about the current state budget and the underlying state and local finance system.

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