PPIC Luncheon Briefing

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and their Government

Tuesday, April 1, 2008
12:00 Noon – 1:30 p.m.
2203 Rayburn House Office Building

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According to a new survey from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), Californians are becoming increasingly gloomy about California’s precarious fiscal condition and bleak economic outlook. And that gloom is taking its toll in their assessment of elected leaders.

On Tuesday, April 1, 2008, please join us for a luncheon briefing by PPIC President, CEO, and survey director Mark Baldassare regarding the latest PPIC Statewide Survey, Californians and Their Government, which examines Californians’ opinions of the economy, spending cuts as a solution to fiscal crises, preferences in the presidential election, and attitudes toward immigrants, immigration policy, the situation in Iraq, and California’s state and federal officials.  Among the survey’s findings:

• Seven in 10 residents say California is in a recession and three in four expect the state to experience bad economic times during the next 12 months.
• Nearly half of likely voters say they prefer to deal with the budget gap through a mix of spending cuts and tax increases. Solid majorities say major changes are needed in the state’s budget process.
• Optimism about progress in Iraq remains low, but is higher than a year ago. Most residents say the nation should bring troops home as soon as possible.
• If the 2008 presidential election were held today, likely voters say they prefer Barack Obama over John McCain (49% to 40%), while a race between Hillary Clinton and McCain would be closer (46% to 43%).

The luncheon briefing will be held from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 1, in Room 2203 of the Rayburn House Office Building.  Reports detailing findings from the survey — conducted with funding from The James Irvine Foundation — will be available at the briefing.

Author of numerous publications, Mark Baldassare is an expert in public opinion, including political, social, economic, and environmental attitudes. He founded the PPIC Statewide Survey in 1998 and served as the Institute’s Director of Research until being appointed PPIC’s President and CEO in 2007. Previously, he was a department chair at the University of California, Irvine, where he conducted polls for the Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register, San Francisco Chronicle, and California Business Roundtable.

PPIC and the California Institute are both 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that do not employ lobbyists. Established in 1994 with an endowment from William R. Hewlett, the Public Policy Institute of California is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to informing and improving public policy in California through independent, objective, nonpartisan research on major economic, social, and political issues.

Please join us for this important luncheon event on Tuesday, April 1.  To attend the luncheon (acceptances only), please contact the California Institute 202-974-6384 or [email protected] .

To expand communication between Washington and California, the California Institute provides periodic bulletins, briefings, and other information regarding current activity on Capitol Hill and throughout Washington that affects our state.  As a central component of this endeavor, we are pleased to partner with the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) to convene regular luncheon briefings featuring experts from PPIC.

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