blog post California’s Native American Community By Eric McGhee Nov 15, 2022 The native people of California have lived in the state for tens of thousands of years and today represent a vibrant part of the California community. While California’s native community is the smallest among all major racial and ethnic groups, seven in ten Native Americans also identify with another race.
blog post California’s Population Slowdown By Eric McGhee, Hans Johnson Mar 10, 2020 Population growth in California has slowed markedly since the early 2010s, and the state is now a net loser in overall migration for the first time since the Great Recession.
Report Assessing the Impact of Bail on California’s Jail Population By Sonya Tafoya Jun 20, 2013 California's public safety realignment shifted many low-level felony offenders from state prisons to county jails. The resulting jail population pressures have reinvigorated the debate over bail reform. Proponents argue that reform would not only reduce the unsentenced jail population but also make the system more equitable. To help policymakers evaluate options for reform, this report examines variation in bail schedules and assesses the relationship between bail and unsentenced jail populations.
California Counts, Report California’s Multiracial Population By Sonya Tafoya, Laura Hill, Hans Johnson Aug 13, 2004 Looks at a newly identified population, enabled by the Census 2000, which for the first time offered Americans the option to self-identify as of more than one race. Finds that California’s multiracial population is hard to characterize with any basic summary statistics, because there are many racial combinations with very different characteristics, depending on the particular combination.
blog post California’s Changing Immigration Is Reshaping Its Electorate By Eric McGhee Nov 2, 2023 In recent years, immigration to California has slowed from all countries, and Asia has overtaken Latin America as the prime source. These shifts have immediate implications for the state’s electorate.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Population Issues Feb 25, 2009 Some findings of the current survey: Californians are far more likely to say the government should not interfere with abortion access (61%) than pass more restrictions (35%), but the latter choice has risen 8 points since January 2000. Births have been and are expected to be the single biggest factor in the state’s population growth, but half of Californians believe that immigration is the biggest cause. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s approval rating dropped 7 points to 33 percent but Californians give President Barack Obama a 70-percent approval rating in his first month. This is the 95th PPIC Statewide Survey and the 2nd focusing on population issues. It is supported with funding from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Fact Sheet Rural California By Hans Johnson, Marisol Cuellar Mejia Mar 19, 2024 Rural California is home to 2.3 million residents—5.8% of the state’s population. And every county in the state—except San Francisco—has rural residents. This fact sheet provides essential information about key demographic, economic, and societal issues in California’s rural areas.
blog post California’s Incarcerated Population Plunges to New Low during COVID-19 By Heather Harris, Alexandria Gumbs, Joseph Hayes Aug 19, 2020 The number of people in California’s prisons and jails has declined substantially since February. Still, most state prisons remain overcrowded, and many counties have seen recent increases in jail populations.
blog post Beavers: The Unlikely Climate Hero By Sarah Bardeen Oct 24, 2022 Beavers were once ubiquitous in North America, but trapping and habitat loss decimated their population: there are just 10-15 million beavers in North America today. We asked a beaver restoration expert to tell us more about this unlikely climate hero and its role in restoring streams and meadows.
blog post How a New Way of Counting Prisoners Has Changed Redistricting By Jennifer Paluch, Eric McGhee, Heather Harris Nov 2, 2022 For the purposes of drawing state legislative and congressional districts, California now counts state prisoners as residents of their last known address, rather than as residents of prisons. Though the effects are small, communities with large numbers of residents who have been sent to prison now do not lose representation to the few communities in which the prisons are located.
