PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government

Offers survey findings including Californians' views of proposed tax plans such as raising the sales tax and high earners' income taxes, pension reforms, elected officials, the fiscal outlook, and the "Occupy" movement, as well as their personal finances

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and the Environment

Presents survey results on Californians' views of the federal Gulf of Mexico oil spill response, offshore drilling, the effects of global warming, the impact of emissions regulation on the economy, and other energy and environmental policy issues

A Comprehensive Examination of the Determinants and Consequences of Political Trust among Latinos

Political trust is an important concept in a representative democracy because it defines citizens’ expectations of their elected officials, their willingness to allow government to act on their behalf, and the quality of democratic accountability. Distrust, or when government outcomes fail to meet citizens\u27 expectations, has been linked to discontent and disaffection, and to a broad decline in the legitimacy of government institutions. Research consistently shows that Latinos are more trusting than non-Latinos--a finding which seems discordant in light of the socio-economic and cultural differences between these groups. The concept of expectations is especially interesting and useful in examining differences in levels of political trust among Latinos and non-Latinos. The literature on Latino trust lacks any comprehensive analysis of the determinants and consequences of political trust among Latinos. This dissertation attempts to answer the following questions: What are the determinants of political trust among Latinos? Why are Latinos more trusting of government than non-Latinos? What impact does political trust have on Latino policy preferences and vote choice? Utilizing survey data of Californians, evidence I find that acculturation and country-of-origin variables account for differences between Latinos and non-Latinos, and that socio-economic variables do not. Latinos of Mexican origin are less trusting that other Latinos. Political trust has a negative impact of Latino support for health care reform, but no impact on non-Latino policy preferences in this area. Once again, trust impacts Mexican and non-Mexican Latinos differently. Finally, I confirm the positive relationship between political trust and voting for an incumbent (the negative relationship between trust and support for a major or minor party challenger); this relationship is constant across Latino and non-Latino groups

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Higher Education November 2011

Presents survey findings about Californians' views on the quality, affordability, and funding of and policy regarding higher education. Analyzes support for various options for maintaining funding, including tax increases, fee hikes, and a bond measure

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government May 2011

Presents survey findings on views of Governor Jerry Brown's proposed tax and fee package to prevent further budget cuts, elected officials' job performance, trust in government, fiscal and initiatives reforms, economic concerns, and other issues

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Higher Education 2010

Presents survey findings on views of higher education as a state funding priority; concerns about college costs, access, and the impact of budget cuts; support for increases in taxes, fees, or out-of-state students to maintain funding; and other issues

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and the Environment 2008

Examines Californians' views on air pollution, global warming, energy and environmental policy including offshore drilling, politics, and how environmental and economic concerns affect their behavior; by region, demographics, and political affiliation

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Healthy Communities

Presents survey results on views of community quality-of-life conditions, health policy and services, support for universal health care for children and healthcare reform, and other issues by race/ethnicity, education, income, and insurance status

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government 2010

Presents survey results on how voters gathered information on the 2010 elections, made ballot choices, and participated in the citizens' initiative process and their views of state and national governments by party affiliation, region, and demographics

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government March 2011

Analyzes survey data on support for state fiscal measures, including public pension reforms and temporary tax hikes; local, state, and federal governments; and economic policy and job creation by demographics and political affiliation