blog post California’s African American Community By Eric McGhee Feb 22, 2023 The African American community in California has never been large, but it has been vital to our state’s political, economic, and cultural history. We look at how California’s African American population has changed over time and how it is faring.
blog post Concerns about Crime Are Up, Views of Police Are Down By Deja Thomas Feb 13, 2023 The share of Californians saying that violence and street crime is a problem in their community has increased from a year ago, and the share saying that the police are doing an excellent or good job controlling crime has declined. Views on crime and policing vary notably across demographic groups, including by race and ethnicity.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas Feb 1, 2023 Key findings include overwhelming majorities say housing affordability and homelessness are a big problem; many Californians worry younger generations will be unable to afford a home. Majorities expect bad times ahead for the state financially. Approval of Newsom and Biden has remained steady, while approval has fallen for the US Supreme Court and Congress.
blog post Redistricting and the Changing Demographics of the California Legislature By Eric McGhee, Jennifer Paluch Feb 1, 2023 The November 2022 election has transformed the demographics of California’s state legislature and congressional delegation, adding greater numbers of Latinos and women in particular. Newly redrawn political districts are one of the factors driving this change.
blog post COVID-19’s Sobering Effect on Life Expectancy By Hans Johnson, Eric McGhee Jan 27, 2023 Life expectancy has declined dramatically during the pandemic. Both in California and nationally, it fell almost a full two years in 2020, and provisional estimates suggest further declines in 2021.
blog post Test Scores Show Six-Year Setback for California Students By Darriya Starr, Emmanuel Prunty, Joseph Herrera, Iwunze Ugo Dec 14, 2022 Recently released standardized test scores show sharp declines in proficiency among the state’s fourth graders—reversing nearly six years of progress. The declines were sharpest among Black, Latino, and low-income students but do not appear to be tied to length of school closures during COVID.
Report English as a Second Language at California’s Community Colleges By Olga Rodriguez, Laura Hill, Daniel Payares-Montoya Nov 28, 2022 Colleges began implementing reforms aimed at improving English as a Second Language pathways in fall 2021—during a historic pandemic. We cannot yet disentangle the impact of reforms from the effects of the COVID-19 crisis, but an analysis of early implementation finds that colleges have made significant progress.
blog post California’s Native American Community By Eric McGhee Nov 15, 2022 The native people of California have lived in the state for tens of thousands of years and today represent a vibrant part of the California community. While California’s native community is the smallest among all major racial and ethnic groups, seven in ten Native Americans also identify with another race.
blog post Testimony: Enrollment Declines in California Community Colleges By Olga Rodriguez Nov 14, 2022 For a hearing of Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance, PPIC’s Olga Rodriguez presented research on pandemic-induced enrollment declines at community colleges—with the largest decreases among Asian, Black, and Latino students—and discussed strategies for boosting student access and educational attainment.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Economic Well-Being By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas Nov 9, 2022 Amid rising prices and economic uncertainty, more than two in three Californians are pessimistic about how the state’s economy will do over the next year. An overwhelming majority of employed Californians are at least somewhat satisfied with their jobs, but satisfaction declines among lower-income residents.
