blog post PPIC Turns 25 By Mark Baldassare Jan 7, 2019 Through recessions, earthquakes, drought, a gubernatorial recall, and a "blue wave"—PPIC has provided objective, nonpartisan, evidence-based research to California policymakers and the public for 25 years.
Fact Sheet Dams in California By Alvar Escriva-Bou, Jeffrey Mount, Jelena Jezdimirovic Sep 4, 2019 Dams are central to California’s water system, providing storage, flood control, electricity, and recreation. Climate change is complicating how they are managed.
blog post Making End-of-Life Decisions on Aging Dams By Lori Pottinger Nov 9, 2020 Many of California’s large dams are outliving their functions and even becoming hazardous. We talked to Andrew Rypel of the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences about how to address this aging dam population.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Special Survey on Californians and the Initiative Process By Mark Baldassare Sep 29, 2005 Some findings of the current survey Californians think that initiatives (39%) should have more influence than the legislature (32%) or governor (18%) over state policy. Most residents (74%) feel that initiatives raise important issues that elected officials have not adequately addressed. Despite their loyalty, 63% of Californians think the initiative process needs either major (29%) or minor (34%) changes. Many residents believe that special interests have too much control over the initiative process (92%), find the ballot wording for initiatives complicated and confusing (77%), and think there are too many propositions on the state ballot (62%). Half of state residents say they have less confidence now than before Hurricane Katrina that the government can handle a major terrorist attack (51%) or a major California earthquake (54%). 62% of Californians think the nation is headed in the wrong direction. November Ballot Measures: Proposition 74 (teacher tenure), 43% yes, 47% no Proposition 76 (spending and funding limits), 26% yes, 63% no Proposition 77 (redistricting), 33% yes, 50% no Proposition 78 (prescription drug discounts), 43% yes, 38% no Proposition 79 (prescription drug discounts), 34% yes, 40% no This is the 59th PPIC Statewide Survey and the second in a series of three surveys focusing on Californians and the initiative process. This special survey series is funded by The James Irvine Foundation.
blog post Making Sense of the Floods in San Diego By Sarah Bardeen Jan 30, 2024 The sudden deluge in San Diego last week has left some of that city’s communities reeling. But what actually caused the epic flooding—and could it have been avoided? We ask the experts.
Fact Sheet The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta By Jeffrey Mount, Ellen Hanak, Greg Gartrell May 18, 2022 The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta is California’s largest estuary and a vital hub in the state’s water supply system. Three interlinked issues currently face the Delta: an increasingly unreliable water supply, a decline in ecosystem health, and a fragile system of levees. Learn more about this key watershed in our new fact sheet.
Fact Sheet Floods in California By Jeffrey Mount, Gokce Sencan, Letitia Grenier Feb 28, 2024 More than seven million Californians—one in five residents—live in areas at risk of flooding, and risks are growing. Improved land use planning, insurance, and innovative flood management can help.
Report Preparing for California’s Next Recession By Patrick Murphy, Jennifer Paluch, Radhika Mehlotra May 29, 2019 California is enjoying one of the longest growth periods in history and appears well-prepared to endure a mild economic downturn. But a more severe crisis would exhaust current reserves, decrease school funding, and open a significant budget gap for several years. What steps can the state be taking to prepare for and minimize these outcomes?
