blog post Affirmative Action and Higher Education in California By Radhika Mehlotra, Bonnie Brooks Sep 3, 2020 A November ballot measure asks Californians whether or not to repeal the state’s ban on affirmative action in the public sector, including in public higher education.
blog post Drought Watch: Lessons from Kansas By Ellen Hanak, David Mitchell Jun 5, 2014 This is part of a continuing series on the impact of the drought. Bonds alone can’t do the job of meeting our critical water needs. Now’s the time—during, not after the drought—to consider a broader package of solutions.
Report Redistricting and Legislative Partisanship By Eric McGhee Sep 9, 2008 Critics of the state legislature contend that its pattern of gridlock—as exemplified by the current budget impasse—can be traced to the “safe seats” it drew for itself in the 2001 redistricting process. Redistricting reform is often suggested as the right prescription for these legislative ills. This report analyzes in detail the effects of the 2001 redistricting on legislative behavior, voting patterns, and partisanship. It concludes that if increased bipartisanship is what critics want, redistricting reform may not be the optimal way to attain it.
blog post California’s Wild and Scenic Rivers Act Hampers Shasta Reservoir Project By Brian Gray, Jeffrey Mount Jan 6, 2020 A proposal to raise Shasta Dam to increase storage capacity is unlikely to go forward, given the protected status of a tributary that the project would inundate.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and the Environment By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas Jul 12, 2023 Key findings of the survey include: Most Californians think it is very important that the state take steps now to respond to climate change, though views vary across party lines. An overwhelming majority say that extreme weather events are a problem in their part of the state. A majority believe the use of electric vehicles helps address climate change; half have seriously considered getting one, and nearly one in ten have already done so.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Jennifer Paluch, Dean Bonner, Sonja Petek Dec 17, 2009 Some findings of the current survey: Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman leads the field among likely voters in the GOP gubernatorial primary, but Democrat Jerry Brown beats all three potential Republican candidates in hypothetical 2010 general election matchups. More than half of likely voters say the issues of lowering the legislative vote threshold to pass a state budget and allowing same-sex marriage are very important. Half of Californians support proposed changes to the health care system, given what they know about the legislation. They take a pessimistic view of military efforts in Afghanistan, and are divided on President Obama’s proposal for more troops there. Job Approval Ratings: President ObamaGovernor SchwarzeneggerCalifornia State LegislatureU.S. CongressTheir Own State Legislator in the Assembly and SenateTheir Own Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives Time Trends of Job Approval Ratings: President ObamaGovernor SchwarzeneggerCalifornia State LegislatureU.S. Congress Their Own State Legislators in the Assembly and SenateTheir Own Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives Mood of Californians: General Direction of Things in CaliforniaGeneral Direction of Things in the United StatesEconomic Outlook for CaliforniaEconomic Outlook for the United States Time Trends for the Mood of Californians: General Direction of Things in CaliforniaGeneral Direction of Things in the United StatesEconomic Outlook for CaliforniaEconomic Outlook for the United States This survey is supported with funding from The James Irvine Foundation.
blog post Tackling “Forever Chemicals” in the Water Supply By Sarah Bardeen Jan 19, 2023 Much has been made of two drinking water pollutants recently: PFAS and microplastics. We spoke with Jason Dadakis of the Orange County Water District to learn more about these pollutants—and to find out how worried we should be.
press release A Strong Majority Approve of Prop 1, and Prop 30 Has Majority Support; About One-Third Support Prop 27 Sep 14, 2022
