Report California’s Commitment to Adult English Learners: Caught Between Funding and Need By Arturo Gonzalez Apr 12, 2007 This report examines the discrepancy between California’s goal of providing free English classes and the reality that the current funding system for providing classes is about 30 years out of date. During those 30 years, the state’s immigrant population has exploded. The gap between goal and reality has created an excessive financial burden on some local school districts—which provide most of the state’s English as a Second Language (ESL) classes—and may be forcing other districts to turn away immigrants who want to learn English.
Report Reducing Child Poverty in California: A Look at Housing Costs, Wages, and the Safety Net By Sarah Bohn, Caroline Danielson Nov 14, 2017 Nearly a quarter of young children in California live in poverty—a fact that has profound educational, health, and economic repercussions now and in the long term. High housing costs and low wages are key barriers to reducing the prevalence of child poverty. Lawmakers have taken action to address these issues: the minimum wage is slated to increase to $15 an hour by 2022, and recently enacted laws aim to ease the state’s housing crisis.
Report Implementing Automated Voter Registration in California By Eric McGhee, Radhika Mehlotra, Mindy Romero Mar 30, 2020 The California New Motor Voter Act (CNMV) has dramatically increased the number of voters registered through the Department of Motor Vehicles. Though it did not increase overall registration during in the 2018 election cycle, there are signs of a steady impact since then. It is not yet clear whether CNMV has improved registration among underrepresented groups.
Report The Effect of Minority Districts and Minority Representation on Political Participation in California By Claudine Gay Jun 1, 2001 Benefiting in part from the creation of majority-minority districts—those in which minority groups constitute a majority of the voting population—California’s Latino and black congressional representatives have emerged as visible political actors in an institution traditionally dominated by whites. Advocates argue that majority-minority districts are beneficial because they encourage more Latinos and African-Americans to participate in the political process. Although this claim has met with considerable skepticism, so far neither the advocates nor the skeptics have offered firm evidence for or against the link between majority-minority redistricting and increased political participation. Claudine Gay’s The Effect of Minority Districts and Minority Representation on Political Participation in California provides this evidence by investigating Latino, African-American, and white turnout rates in California’s 13 majority-minority districts.
Fact Sheet Arrests in California’s Counties By Magnus Lofstrom, Justin Goss, Joseph Hayes, Brandon Martin Mar 28, 2019 Arrests vary substantially across the state, with rural counties often seeing higher arrest rates than urban counties. This fact sheet provides a snapshot of overall arrest rates, arrests for different offenses, and racial disparities in California’s diverse counties.
Fact Sheet The CalFresh Food Assistance Program By Caroline Danielson, Daniel Tan Sep 1, 2020 Participation in CalFresh—which helps millions of low-income Californians buy groceries—has risen amid the coronavirus pandemic. This fact sheet provides a snapshot of the program, including its impact on poverty and recent changes to expand access.
Report Improving Health Care Data in California By Shannon McConville, Paulette Cha, Caroline Danielson, Daniel Tan Feb 26, 2020 California policymakers are moving to create a health care payment database (HPD) for examining health care use, costs, and outcomes. A state HPD would be a crucial resource to inform state policy around homelessness and improving children’s well-being. This report highlights research that could be advanced by an HPD.
Report Immigrants and Local Governance: The View from City Hall By Paul Lewis, Karthick Ramakrishnan Jun 9, 2005 More than one-quarter of California residents are foreign-born. Yet, very little is known about the effects of immigration on public policymaking and representation at the local level. In this report, the authors address three major questions. First, how do municipal officials become aware of the needs and preferences of immigrant populations? Second, how do they attempt to communicate city policies to their immigrant constituents, many of whom do not speak English? Third, how – if at all – does the presence of immigrants alter the policies and routines of city government?
Fact Sheet Public Preschools in California By Caroline Danielson, Tess Thorman Apr 22, 2019 Most parents of young children work, but public preschool programs are fragmented and currently unable to serve all who are eligible. Improvements will require a multipronged approach.
