Donate
PPIC Logo Independent, objective, nonpartisan research

Search Results

Filters Sort by:
Statewide Survey

PPIC Statewide Survey Californians and Higher Education

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

Californians give the state’s public higher education system high marks, but see affordability as a big problem. Most say higher education funding is inadequate but also believe that existing funds need to be used more wisely. While nearly all see the system as important to the state’s future, Californians are divided on whether a college education is necessary for individual success in today’s economy.

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

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

The survey was supported with funding from the Arjay and Frances Miller Foundation, the Flora Family Foundation, John and Louise Bryson, Walter Hewlett, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Report

A Portrait of Race and Ethnicity in California

By Deborah Reed, Hans Johnson, Belinda Reyes, Jennifer Y. Cheng ...

California's racial and ethnic composition has changed dramatically over the last generation: so dramatically, in fact, that many businesses, public interest groups, media professionals, and policymakers lack current, reliable information about the state's population. In this sourcebook, Belinda Reyes and a team of researchers examine trends and outcomes in:

  • demography
  • education
  • health
  • labor
  • economic status
  • crime
  • political participation
  • ethnic geography
Each chapter presents key indicators for the state's four major racial and ethnic groups: whites, African Americans, Asians, and Hispanics. Where possible, the authors also present trends and outcomes for major Asian and Hispanic subgroups.

 

At Issue, Report

The State of California Voters

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

California voters are not happy. They are increasingly distrustful of government, disappointed in the people who run it, and convinced that the nation and state are headed in the wrong direction. And yet, as their disaffection has grown, Californians have begun to register and vote in record numbers. What are voters trying to say? What can they expect from their elected officials in the face of their own partisan divisions? This At Issue provides facts and figures on political involvement, partisan lines, and sources of voter discontent.

Statewide Survey

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government

By Mark Baldassare

Some findings of the current survey:

  • The majority of California residents (58%) -including Democrats (55%)- approve of the way Arnold Schwarzenegger is handling his job as governor.
  • Six in 10 voters (62%) think that the governor and legislature will be able to work together and accomplish a lot this year.
  • A large majority (79%) favor the governor's proposal to guarantee medical coverage for children of low-income families. Support drops if the plan covers all low-income children regardless of immigration status.
  • Sixty-nine percent say it was not worth going to war in Iraq.

This is the 74th PPIC Statewide Survey and the 21st in the Californians and Their Government series. It is made possible with funding from The James Irvine Foundation.

Statewide Survey

PPIC Statewide Survey: Special Survey on Education

By Mark Baldassare

Some findings of the current survey

  • The share of Californians (58%) who say the quality of education is a big problem is higher now than at any time since 1998, when the PPIC Statewide Survey was launched.
  • Substantial majorities of residents (64%) and likely voters (60%) favor raising the income tax paid by the wealthiest Californians to fund education.
  • Eighty-seven percent of blacks are very concerned about high school drop-out rates, a much higher percentage than in any other group (Latinos 59%, Asians 51%, whites 50%).
  • A majority of Californians (73%) believe that students should have to pass a statewide test to graduate from high school.

This is the 66th PPIC Statewide Survey and the second in a series of special surveys focusing on education in California, made possible by a grant from The William and Flora Hewlett 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:

  • Californians are worried about the water supply in their part of the state and say that people in their region are not doing enough to respond to the drought.
  • Many share the governor’s concern about the state’s roads and bridges; fewer support tax increases to fund improvements.
  • Most favor using state budget surpluses to restore higher education funding, but only if tuition and fees do not increase.
  • Support for legalizing marijuana (53%) is at its highest point; more than half of Californians would not be bothered if a legal marijuana store opened in their neighborhood.

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.

Statewide Survey

PPIC Statewide Survey: Special Survey of the Central Valley

By Mark Baldassare

Some findings of the current survey

  • Seventy three percent of Central Valley residents rate their city or community as an excellent or good place to live—a positive rating that is found consistently in previous Central Valley surveys.
  • In a ranking of the most important issues facing the region, pollution and air pollution (14%) top the list, followed by crime (12%), population growth (10%), the economy (9%), immigration (7%), and flooding (7%). The proportion of residents who say asthma or respiratory problems are a problem for themselves or a family member has grown in the past three years from 37 to 49 percent.
  • More than twice as many Central Valley residents say traffic congestion is a big problem in their area today than did in 1999 (48% to 23%).
  • While 82 percent of whites in the Central Valley region use computers often or sometimes, 55 percent of Latinos do not use a computer at all.

This is the 68th PPIC Statewide Survey and the sixth in a series of special surveys focusing on California's Central Valley, in collaboration with the Great Valley Center.

Report

How Greater Vote-by-Mail Influences California Voter Turnout

By Eric McGhee, Jennifer Paluch, Mindy Romero

With COVID-19 threatening the November election, many states are working to increase voting by mail. In California, 15 counties have already expanded alternatives to in-person voting, and while overall voter turnout was higher, groups such as foreign-language and young voters sometimes saw declines. Outreach by trusted messengers may help in targeting low-turnout groups.

Search results are limited to 100 items. Please use the Refine Results tool if you are not finding what you are looking for.