blog post Water Trading Can Help California’s Struggling Freshwater Ecosystems By Ellen Hanak, Gokce Sencan Apr 4, 2022 California’s freshwater ecosystems are struggling—but water trading has helped in the past, and that could continue. We provide fresh data on the current state of environmental water transfers and highlight ways to improve them.
blog post Testimony: Addressing California’s Growing Flood Risk By Ellen Hanak Jan 14, 2015 As a reminder that California is never more than one big storm away from flood problems—even when reeling from drought—the topic of an Assembly committee hearing yesterday was flood management.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government Sep 23, 2014 Some findings of the current survey: Most Californians say the health reform law has had no direct impact. One in five say it has directly helped and a similar share say it has directly hurt them. In the gubernatorial election, Governor Brown continues to lead Neel Kashkari by a wide margin; just one in 10 are very closely following news about candidates. As more Californians see the drought as the state’s most important issue, the water bond (Proposition 1) has a two-to-one margin of support (58% to 29%). A solid majority of likely voters support Proposition 47, which would reduce sentences for some drug and property crimes. Job Approval Ratings: President Obama [PDF] Governor Brown [PDF] California State Legislature [PDF] U.S. Congress [PDF] Senator Boxer [PDF] Senator Feinstein [PDF] Time Trends of Job Approval Ratings: President Obama [XLS] Governor Brown [XLS] California State Legislature [XLS] U.S. Congress [XLS] Senator Boxer [XLS] Senator Feinstein [XLS] Mood of Californians: General Direction of Things in California [PDF] Economic Outlook for California [PDF] Time Trends for the Mood of Californians: General Direction of Things in California [XLS] Economic Outlook for California [XLS] This survey was supported with funding from The James Irvine Foundation.
event Proposition 47 and Racial Disparities in California Jul 1, 2020 While the COVID-19 pandemic has required changes to law enforcement and correctional policies, widespread protests over the police-involved deaths of African Americans have intensified concern about racial and ethnic disparities in our criminal justice system. In recent years, California has implemented significant reforms that, while not motivated by racial disparities, are narrowing them.
blog post Video: Californians and Their Government By Stephanie Barton Dec 13, 2023 Researchers Lauren Mora and Deja Thomas discuss key takeaways from the latest PPIC Statewide Survey, including Californians' views on the 2024 election, the top issues facing the state, and US involvement in the Middle East and Ukraine.
Report Policy Priorities for Managing Drought By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Jeffrey Mount, Peter Moyle ... Mar 16, 2015 State, federal, and local water managers have worked diligently to reduce the economic, social, and environmental harm from the current drought. But as the drought continues, the challenges will grow more acute. California can learn from experiences to date—and from Australia’s response to its Millennium Drought—to better prepare both for the year ahead and for future droughts. State leaders should address weaknesses in four areas of drought preparation and response, by: 1) improving water use information, 2) setting clear goals and priorities for public health and the environment, 3) promoting water conservation and more resilient water supplies, and 4) strengthening environmental management.
blog post Voters’ Wish List for the Next Election Cycle By Mark Baldassare Nov 10, 2022 California’s citizens’ initiative process remains popular as a way of addressing the state’s most important challenges. But voters believe that the system has certain shortcomings and should be reformed.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Lauren Mora, Deja Thomas Feb 22, 2024 Schiff, Porter, and Garvey lead in the top-two primary for the US Senate, while Trump is poised to capture all of California's delegates in the Republican presidential primary. Majorities see the situation at the US-Mexico border as a major problem.
Fact Sheet Proposition 13: 40 Years Later By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Alyssa Dykman, Lunna Lopes Jun 18, 2018
Report Storing Water for the Environment By Sarah Null, Jeffrey Mount, Brian Gray, Kristen Dybala ... Aug 22, 2022 Large reservoirs are essential for managing water in California’s highly variable climate—but over the years, the construction and operation of these reservoirs have had significant environmental costs. Our new research outlines how reservoir operations could be changed to improve the health of the state’s fragile freshwater ecosystems.
