Before Washington, California was the national symbol of partisan paralysis and government dysfunction. … But over the past month, California has been the stage for a series of celebrations of unlikely legislative success — a parade of bill signings that offered a contrast between the federal shutdown in Washington and […] Read more »
Opportunity Lost: How Schwarzenegger failed to rescue California GOP
… The California GOP was already well on its way to marginalization, thanks to positions on immigration, abortion and other issues that pushed the party increasingly to the right of most Californians. But the fiscally conservative, socially liberal Schwarzenegger offered hope: to broaden the appeal of California Republicans, move the […] Read more »
Ten years after recall, California still feels effects
Ten years ago, California erupted in an anti-government, anti-establishment convulsion unlike any ever seen. Disgruntled voters seized the chance for a rare do-over, recalling their staid and serious governor, Gray Davis, and replacing him less than a year after his reelection with one of the most famous and exuberant personalities […] Read more »
Majority of Californians Want Do-Over on High-Speed Rail Vote
With California’s largest public works project still months away from breaking ground, seven out of 10 voters want another chance to vote on whether the state’s high-speed rail project should continue, according to the results of a new poll. Seventy percent of voters said they wanted another chance to vote […] Read more »
First Wave of Major New Survey Project on California’s Uninsured
California’s uninsured are skipping medical care, struggling with costs and want coverage, but many report knowing little about the Affordable Care Act’s new coverage options. The majority who are likely to be eligible for subsidies in the state’s new insurance marketplace don’t realize it, and almost half who are likely […] Read more »
Anti-Immigrant Politics and Lessons for the GOP from California
According to polling data from the Field Poll, after winning the presidential election in 1980, California native Ronald Reagan raised his share of the Latino vote from 35 percent to 45 percent in 1984 while carrying 59 percent of the entire state. Republicans went on to win the Golden state […] Read more »