Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Education By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Sonja Petek, Jui Shrestha Apr 25, 2012 Some findings of the current survey: California’s likely voters favor raising income taxes on the wealthy to increase funding for public schools, but they oppose raising the state sales tax. Just over half of likely voters—54%—would vote yes on Governor Brown’s proposed tax initiative and a strong majority oppose automatic cuts to K–12 education if the initiative is rejected. An overwhelming majority prefer local control over state funds for schools. Job Approval Ratings: Governor Brown [PDF] California State Legislature [PDF] Time Trends of Job Approval Ratings: Governor Brown [XLS] California State Legislature [XLS] This survey was supported with funding from The Dirk and Charlene Kabcenell Foundation, the Stuart Foundation, and The Silver Giving Foundation.
blog post Anticipating and Addressing the Impacts of the Drought By Alvar Escriva-Bou, Ellen Hanak, Jeffrey Mount May 4, 2021 With the latest drought off to a strong start, what lessons can we learn from the last major dry period—and what actions can we take to manage it?
blog post The Election Was Hard on California Democrats, Too By Eric McGhee, Daniel Krimm Nov 7, 2014 On the surface, it would appear that California stood against a tide of Republican victories nationwide. But scratch just beneath the surface, and it turns out the state is not so different.
Report Transitions for the Delta Economy By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Richard Howitt, Josué Medellín-Azuara Jan 10, 2012 Enormous changes—from natural forces to management decisions—are coming to California’s fragile Delta region and will have broad effects on its residents. This report finds that in the first half of this century, the Delta as a whole is likely to experience a loss of 1 percent of economic activity as a result of these changes. It also identifies planning priorities for managing the Delta’s future. This research was supported with funding from the Watershed Sciences Center at UC Davis.
Report Where the Wild Things Aren’t: Making the Delta a Better Place for Native Species By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, William Fleenor, Jeffrey Mount ... Jun 14, 2012 How can California address the Delta’s many problems—and manage its ecosystem more effectively in the future? The authors propose a strategy for realistically achieving co-equal goals of water supply reliability and ecosystem protection in this troubled region. This research was supported with funding from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation. Several companion reports contain related findings: Aquatic Ecosystem Stressors in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (Mount et al. 2012) summarizes the science of Delta ecosystem stressors for a policymaking audience. Costs of Ecosystem Management Actions for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (Medellín-Azuara et al. 2013) assesses costs of water management actions. Integrated Management of Delta Stressors: Institutional and Legal Options (Gray et al. 2013) lays out proposals for institutional reform of science, management, and regulation. Scientist and Stakeholder Views on the Delta Ecosystem (Hanak et al. 2013) presents detailed results of the two surveys conducted by the report’s authors. Stress Relief: Prescriptions for a Healthier Delta Ecosystem (Hanak et al. 2013) summarizes the overall research project and the recommendations it generated.
event The James Irvine Foundation Briefing SeriesStatewide Survey: Californians and Their Government May 24, 2012
blog post California’s Quietest Reform By Eric McGhee Feb 10, 2014 California has adopted a lot of high-profile political reforms recently, including a new way of drawing district lines and a radically open primary system. But there’s another reform that is transforming the state legislature without attracting nearly as much national attention.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Sonja Petek, Jui Shrestha Jan 24, 2012 Some findings of the current survey: A strong majority of likely voters favor Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed tax initiative and oppose the "trigger cuts” that public schools would face if the measure fails. Likely voters are split in their approval of President Obama (49% approve, 49% disapprove, 2% unsure). A majority of Californians think the state could maintain current levels of service with lower revenues. Job Approval Ratings: President Obama [PDF] Governor Brown [PDF] California State Legislature [PDF] U.S. Congress [PDF] Senator Boxer [PDF] Senator Feinstein [PDF] Their Own State Legislators in the Assembly and Senate [PDF] Their Own Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives [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] Their Own State Legislators in the Assembly and Senate [XLS] Their Own Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives [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.
Report Public Safety Realignment and Crime Rates in California By Steven Raphael, Magnus Lofstrom Dec 10, 2013 Public safety realignment substantially reduced the state’s prison population. Between 2011 and 2012, property crime increased in California as a result of this policy change. Auto theft increased most dramatically, by 14.8 percent—or about 24,000 per year. By contrast, violent crime rates did not appear to be affected. This research was supported with funding from the Smith Richardson Foundation.
