blog post America’s Public Lands: A Bipartisan Political Success Story By Sarah Bardeen May 16, 2022 In an era marred by bitter partisanship, law professor John Leshy says that our public lands are one of the country’s greatest bipartisan achievements—and a shining political success story that’s worth emulating. Read our interview with him!
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Education By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas Apr 27, 2022 More than four in ten parents say their children have fallen behind academically during the pandemic. While most Californians approve of the way Governor Newsom is handling public K–12 education, many believe its quality has declined over the past few years.
blog post Redistricting Injects Some Uncertainty into the 2022 Elections By Eric McGhee Apr 7, 2022 While new political districts shake things up for incumbents, competitiveness in state assembly districts has declined amid an increasing focus on congressional contests.
blog post Most Californians Favor Continuing COVID-19 Restrictions—Including Proof of Vaccination By Deja Thomas Mar 30, 2022 Today, as in late summer of 2021, a majority of Californians support requiring proof of vaccination for entry to large outdoor gatherings and certain indoor spaces such as restaurants, bars, and gyms.
blog post Californians Want Recall Reforms on the 2022 Ballot By Mark Baldassare Mar 24, 2022 Nearly six in ten likely voters, including about half or more across partisan groups and regions, want the electorate to weigh in on proposed recall reforms this year.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas Mar 23, 2022 Key findings include Majorities of Californians across party lines support sanctioning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, even if sanctions lead to higher energy prices. A third of Californians—and nearly half of lower-income residents—say recent price increases have caused serious financial hardship in their households. Over half of Californians are concerned about covering their housing costs, and six in ten say homelessness is a big problem in their part of the state. Partisans are divided on the need for restrictions to control the spread of COVID-19.
Report Equitable State Funding for School Facilities By Julien Lafortune, Niu Gao Mar 14, 2022 Most funding for California’s K–12 facilities comes from local tax revenues, which depend on property wealth. State funding could potentially address wealth disparities, but it has disproportionately benefited more-affluent districts. Policymakers should prioritize equity in facility funding so that all students have access to safe and effective learning environments.
blog post Commentary: Change Automatic Voter Registration Process to Track Equity in Elections By Mindy Romero, Mike Alvarez, Eric McGhee Mar 3, 2022 Adding a single optional question on race/ethnicity to the Department of Motor Vehicles’ automatic voter registration form could increase understanding of voter participation and strategies for engaging underrepresented groups.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Equity in Voter Turnout after Pandemic Election Policy Changes By Eric McGhee, Jennifer Paluch, Mindy Romero, Stephanie Barton Mar 1, 2022 While California has made progress toward voting equity, reforms meant to address running an election during the pandemic may have disrupted voting habits for some communities.
Report Equity in Voter Turnout after Pandemic Election Policy Changes By Eric McGhee, Jennifer Paluch, Mindy Romero Mar 1, 2022 To maintain voting access during the pandemic, California shifted to universal vote-by-mail for the 2020 general election, while some counties consolidated their polling places. In this new report, we examine the sometimes-contradictory impact of these reforms on turnout, especially among young voters and voters of color.