Report California’s Exclusive Electorate: A New Look at Who Votes and Why It Matters By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Alyssa Dykman, Rachel Lawler Sep 16, 2019 The people who go to the polls in California are very different from those who don't—a gap that has far-reaching implications for our democracy and political future.
blog post K–12 Education and the New State Budget By Radhika Mehlotra Jul 15, 2019 Spending on K-12 education in California reaches a new high, though some key long-term funding issues remain.
Fact Sheet Public Pensions in California By Radhika Mehlotra, Patrick Murphy Mar 15, 2019 State and local governments face large and growing pension obligations. This fact sheet provides a snapshot of California’s public pensions and liabilities, their impact on local budgets, and policy changes that aim to tackle rising costs.
Fact Sheet California’s State Budget: The Governor’s Proposal By Radhika Mehlotra, Patrick Murphy Jan 29, 2019 Governor Newsom’s first budget proposal would build up budget reserves and pay down debt—while increasing funding for housing, education, and health and human services.
Report Higher Education in California: Institutional Costs By Hans Johnson, Patrick Murphy, Margaret Weston, Kevin Cook Nov 12, 2014 Over the past 20 years, in-state tuition at both the University of California (UC) and the California State University (CSU) has more than tripled. These tuition increases have led many to believe that spending in the state’s public higher education systems is out of control. However, a closer look reveals that institutional expenditures in the two systems—including faculty salaries and benefits, the largest budget category—have not increased significantly. Our evaluation of both revenues and expenditures shows that recent tuition increases have been driven by dramatic reductions in state subsidies to UC and CSU. In the past, General Fund contributions covered the majority of educational costs. Today, students (often with help from federal, state, institutional, and private grants) pay most of these costs through tuition and associated fees. Better budget data could help policymakers monitor costs and align higher education funding with state goals. But it is clear that tuition at California’s public universities has risen much more rapidly than the cost of providing higher education.
