blog post 2021 Year in Review By Mark Baldassare Dec 16, 2021 The past year has been another deeply challenging one for California and the nation. As 2021 draws to a close, president and CEO Mark Baldassare reflects on the role PPIC has played in providing essential information—and fostering constructive dialogue—on the critical policy issues facing our state.
blog post Worlds Apart: California’s Partisan Divide and the 2016 Election By Mark Baldassare Jun 14, 2016 Californians’ preferences in the presidential primary provide just one example of a deep partisan fissure that has emerged in the 2016 PPIC Statewide Surveys.
Report Test-driving California’s Election Reforms By Eric McGhee, Daniel Krimm Sep 13, 2012 In the June 2012 primary, California tested two important electoral changes: new legislative and congressional districts drawn by an independent citizens commission and a "top two" primary system. The results suggest the reforms produced some changes—in particular, more open seats and more competition. However, there was also a great deal of continuity with recent elections: most candidates endorsed by a major party and all incumbents are advancing to the fall election and partisan outcomes were broadly in line with what might have been expected under the old primary system. Over time, the reforms may produce more radical change, but the first step on the road of reform has been a small one.
Report California’s Political Geography 2020 By Eric McGhee Feb 24, 2020 California still leans Democratic overall, but independents are leaning Republican in many areas of the state. A closer look suggests that registering all eligible residents to vote could moderate more partisan places. Views on specific issues also follow their own geographic patterns.
blog post Likely Voters Are Uneasy as California Shifts from Pandemic to Endemic By Mark Baldassare Apr 27, 2022 As California gears up for its third statewide election in three years, the political landscape is shaped by changing views on COVID-19, education, and the economy.
blog post The Turnout Turnaround By Eric McGhee Dec 16, 2016 Voter turnout in presidential elections has been climbing in all states since about 2000. This is the first time that the upward trend has been stronger in California than elsewhere.
blog post The President’s Popularity and the Midterm Election By Mark Baldassare Jan 18, 2018 How is Donald Trump viewed in California at the end of his first-year anniversary in office? The results matter for the 2018 midterm election.