Report Fiscal Effects of Voter Approval Requirements on Local Governments By Pedro Cerdan, Kim Rueben Jan 27, 2003 This report investigates the ways local governments in California have used the ballot box to raise taxes, assess fees, and pass bond measures. It notes sharp increases in school bond proposals, especially after 2000, when Proposition 39 lowered the voter approval threshold from two-thirds to 55 percent. It also shows how voter reaction to fiscal measures varies according to region, election timing, the type of measure proposed, and the service to be funded. Finally, it suggests that dedicated taxes for popular programs are more likely to garner voter support than a general tax, despite the fact that special taxes require a supermajority for approval. It also notes, however, that this approach may leave some traditional government services, such as libraries and parks, with inadequate funding.
blog post Majorities Favor State Government Downsizing By Mark Baldassare Sep 30, 2014 The September PPIC Statewide Survey reveals surprising news about the voters’ overall mood this year.
Fact Sheet The State-County Fiscal Relationship in California By Caroline Danielson, Marisol Cuellar Mejia Nov 18, 2011
Fact Sheet The State-City Fiscal Relationship in California By Dean Misczynski, Marisol Cuellar Mejia Nov 18, 2011
press release Brown’s Budget Gets Broad Support, and Majority Back Him on Paying Down Debt Jan 30, 2013
Occasional Paper, Report From Home Rule to Fiscal Rule: Taking a Measure of Local Government Finance in California By David W. Lyon May 19, 2000 Prepared for the Center for State and Local Taxation Conference on Local Finance Reform, University of California, Davis, May 19, 2000.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas Jun 5, 2023 Californians name economic conditions, homelessness, and housing as the most important issues facing the state today. A majority of Californians favor changing state environmental regulations as a way to increase housing affordability.
