blog post Unpacking the Supreme Court’s Recent Ruling on the “Chevron Doctrine” By Sarah Bardeen, Brian Gray Jul 17, 2024 What is the Chevron doctrine, and why did the Supreme Court recently abolish it? We asked our senior fellow Brian Gray, a retired environmental law professor, to help us understand the implications of the US Supreme Court’s decision.
blog post Californians Hold Dismal Views of the US Supreme Court By Dean Bonner Oct 5, 2023 As a new US Supreme Court term begins, more than two in three Californians disapprove of the court. Views of the Supreme Court—as well as of some recent decisions—vary widely across party lines.
blog post Californians Are at Odds with the US Supreme Court By Rachel Lawler Mar 10, 2023 PPIC surveys find that Californians’ views diverge from some of the most high profile and contentious rulings of the US Supreme Court, including those on abortion rights and gun ownership. Less than four in ten Californians approve of how the court is handling its job—a record low.
blog post A Broad Range of Californians Oppose Overturning Roe v. Wade By Dean Bonner Jun 24, 2022 Majorities of Californians across political parties, and more than six in ten across regions and demographic groups, oppose the US Supreme Court overturning the landmark abortion rights ruling.
blog post Overwhelming Majorities Are Concerned about Homelessness, Support Many Policies to Address It By Deja Thomas Aug 13, 2024 More than nine in ten Californians say homelessness is at least somewhat of a problem in their part of the state. When asked about certain policies to address homelessness—providing short-term financial support for families experiencing homelessness, converting empty office spaces to affordable housing, and building developments of tiny or small homes—majorities across parties and regions express support.
Report Public Safety Realignment: Impacts So Far By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin Sep 28, 2015 Prompted by a federal court order to reduce prison overcrowding, California’s 2011 historic public safety realignment shifted many correctional responsibilities for lower-level felons from the state to counties. The reform was premised on the idea that locals can do a better job, and it was hoped that incarceration rates and corrections costs would fall. At the same time, critics predicted crime would rise. Four years since its implementation, realignment has made several important impacts: Realignment significantly reduced the prison population, but the state did not reach the court-mandated population target until after the passage of Proposition 47 in November 2014, which reduced penalties for many property and drug offenses. The reform challenged county jails and probation departments by making them responsible for a greater number of offenders with a broader range of backgrounds and needs. The county jail population did not rise nearly as much as the prison population fell, reducing the total number of people incarcerated in California. Realignment did not increase violent crime, but auto thefts rose. Research so far shows no dramatic change in recidivism rates. State corrections spending remains high, but there is reason to believe expenditures could drop in the future. Realignment has largely been successful, but the state and county correctional systems face significant challenges. The state needs to regain control of prison medical care, which is now in the hands of a federal receiver. And the state and counties together must make progress in reducing stubbornly high recidivism rates.
blog post Partisan Gerrymandering and the Role of Social Science in the Courts By Eric McGhee Oct 23, 2017 The Supreme Court has invited social science to play an unusually significant role in the Wisconsin gerrymandering case.
blog post How Might the Supreme Court ACA Case Affect California? By Shannon McConville Nov 10, 2020 The US Supreme Court today heard a case challenging a key provision of the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA). A ruling that invalidates the ACA—or parts of it—could have far-reaching consequences for our state.
