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Fact Sheet

Water Use in California’s Communities

By Andrew Ayres, Caitlin Peterson, Annabelle Rosser

Even as California’s population has grown by millions, its per-capita water use has declined. Communities are finding ways to boost resilience in the face of climate change.

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California’s Leading Role in Providing Criminal Defense to the Poor

By Heather Harris

This week is the 60th anniversary of a landmark US Supreme Court decision that established a constitutional right to legal representation for defendants in state criminal courts, regardless of their ability to pay. We look at California’s approach to indigent defense and how it has changed over time.

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California’s African American Community

By Eric McGhee

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.

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Homeless Populations Are Rising around California

By Jennifer Paluch, Joseph Herrera

Between 2020 and 2022, California’s homeless population increased by 6%. While this growth was largely concentrated in urban areas, the number of people experiencing homelessness declined in San Francisco and Orange County.

Policy Brief

Policy Brief: The Future of Agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley

By Alvar Escriva-Bou, Ellen Hanak, Spencer Cole, Josué Medellín-Azuara

Agriculture is a key driver of the regional economy in the San Joaquin Valley, but water for irrigation is an ongoing—and growing—concern. Our latest research offers the most accurate, nuanced, and localized look at where fallowing may need to occur—and details the policy and management actions that could lead to better outcomes.

Report

Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Arrests in California

By Deepak Premkumar, Thomas Sloan, Magnus Lofstrom, Joseph Hayes

At the onset of COVID-19, California’s criminal justice system was affected by shelter-in-place orders and other public health measures, along with law enforcement directives intended to minimize exposure to the virus. We found that pandemic arrest trends mirror mobility patterns, particularly early on. But other factors, such as a shift in policing strategies, also played a role.

Statewide Survey

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government

By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas

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.

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California’s Plunging Birth Rates

By Hans Johnson

The birth rate in California is at its lowest level in more than 100 years. We examine what is driving this trend and discuss some of the implications for our state’s future.

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