blog post Where We Stand By Mark Baldassare Jan 11, 2021 PPIC president and CEO Mark Baldassare condemns the recent attack on the US Capitol and underscores the importance of shared knowledge and fact-based dialogue during this time of upheaval.
At Issue, Report Reforming California’s Initiative Process By Mark Baldassare Oct 8, 2013 Californians are highly supportive of the initiative process but see room for improvement. Three steps to improve the process—connecting the legislative and initiative processes, increasing disclosure of initiative funders, and reengaging citizens in the initiative process—reflect Californians’ critiques and their desire to continue making laws at the ballot box. These reforms could have far-reaching consequences, with considerable promise for increasing citizen engagement, encouraging voter participation, and building trust in state government. This research was supported with funding from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation.
press release Prop 30 Slips below Majority Support; Democrats Have Overall Edge across Competitive House Districts Oct 26, 2022
Report Are There Winners and Losers? Race, Ethnicity, and California’s Initiative Process By Zoltan L. Hajnal, Hugh Louch Oct 1, 2001 California’s reliance on direct democracy has raised concerns about the role of race and ethnicity in the initiative process.Critics point to initiatives on restricting bilingual education, ending affirmative action, and cutting services to illegal immigrants as a sign that the white electoral majority is using direct democracy to target the state’s growing nonwhite population. This study analyzes voting patterns over the last 20 years to determine how often voters from each racial and ethnic group end up on the winning side of the initiative vote. It also measures the degree to which the interests of white and nonwhite voters differed and the level of unity within each group. The study concludes that nonwhite voters, especially Latinos, fared poorly compared to whites only when race or ethnicity itself was an important part of an initiative.
press release Almost Nine in Ten Californians Believe There Is a Mental Health Crisis in the US Sep 26, 2023
event Do Registration Reforms Add New Voters or Keep Californians Registered? Mar 12, 2024 In recent years, new voter registration and voter address updates have surged—due largely to California’s new process for automatic voter registration. In a presentation of a new report, PPIC researcher Eric McGhee will outline the ways in which registration reforms have increased or maintained the voter rolls and join report co-author Mindy Romero in discussing efforts needed to improve voter engagement.
press release Electorate Divided, Disgruntled—But Confident About Local Government, Initiative Process Oct 9, 2012
blog post Video: A Conversation with Leon Panetta By Mary Severance Jan 22, 2020 The former defense secretary and CIA director talks with PPIC’s Mark Baldassare about the role of leadership in addressing the key policy challenges facing California and the nation.
blog post 2020 Census: Where Are California’s Hard-to-Count Communities? By Vicki Hsieh, Tess Thorman Aug 1, 2018 The 2020 Census is closer than you think. PPIC’s new interactive maps highlight hard-to-count communities across the state and why they are hard to reach.
