Public Opinion

Majority Rule on the Horizon?

According to the most recent LA Times/USC Poll, Proposition 25 is getting 58% support. All of you in favor of a streamlined budget process should not go counting your chickens just yet though. The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC)released a poll last week that shows only 49% support for Prop 25.

The State of Reform Ballot Measures for November

Going into the midterm elections next month, California has eight ballot measures for the voters to decide on. Of those eight, five could be considered governmental ‘reform’ efforts.

Proposition 14 Polling Very Well

The PPIC has released their May poll that has a litany of questions about the upcoming June primary. Heading the list is Proposition 14 (for an in depth description check out the Ballot Measures section on our website). Prop 14 is polling 5 points better than it did in March with 60% voter support and only 27% of voter opposition, with another 13% undecided. This bodes well for California's latest go round with non-traditional primaries.

Clues about the Steps to Reform

The economic distress that California is facing has amplified the call for reform throughout the state. Before you get to the implementation of any reforms, a consensus needs to be reached about the problem and its proposed solutions. The first step to solving a problem is actually being aware that there is a problem. Step two is coming to conclusions about what exactly is causing the problem. Step three is figuring out the best solution and agreeing about that, and then finally, step four, figuring out how to implement your solution.

Let’s see where Californians stand when it comes to our perpetual budgeting woes. The Public Policy Institute of California just released the findings for their January 2010 poll and they are quite telling. Similar to their December 2009 poll, Californians are concerned about our fiscal situation, as 75% think that our budget situation is a big problem. Step one, aware of the problem – check.

Anger and Uncertainty in the California Electorate

After months of public debate over various efforts to reform state government, California voters remain divided over specific proposals to alter the state constitution and an overwhelming majority (75%) believes that major challenges facing the state can be addressed by elected officials without more fundamental changes. One finding that has universal agreement from the January 2010 Field Poll (PDF) is that 95% of registered voters in Californian believe the economy is in bad times.