The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) released a survey last month, revealing the opinions of adults and potential voters on a range of issues. A notable finding was that the vast majority of Californians believe that the state is dominated by large interest groups pursuing their own interests.
The survey, titled “Californians and Their Government,” was based on a survey of 1,605 adult residents, of which 1,071 were potential voters.
The results showed that about half of California adults approved of Governor Gavin Newsom’s performance, while close to 50% of Californians expressed dissatisfaction with the state legislature.
The survey also found that the majority of Californians expect the economic conditions to be difficult in the coming year.
Seventy percent of California adults believe that the government is controlled by a few large interest groups, with only 27% believing that the state operates for the benefit of all.
Regardless of party affiliation, region, or demographics, the views of adults and potential voters were quite similar.
Additionally, about half of adults (48%) and potential voters (49%) believe that government employees waste a significant amount of taxpayer money in a state facing severe budget deficits.
There is a division in opinions regarding Governor Newsom. About half of adults (49%) and potential voters (51%) approve of Newsom’s performance, while 48% of adults and potential voters express dissatisfaction.
Furthermore, in this deep blue state, 74% of Democrats and 54% of independents approve of Newsom’s performance, while 88% of Republicans are dissatisfied with the Democratic governor.
Support for Newsom varies by region, with highest support in major metropolitan areas. In the San Francisco Bay Area, Newsom’s approval rating is 58%, 52% in Los Angeles, 57% dissatisfaction in the Central Valley, and 50% dissatisfaction in Orange County, San Diego County, and the Inland Empire.
Among college graduates, 54% approve of Newsom’s performance, while 46% of non-college graduates do.
Forty-seven percent of Californians approve of the state legislature, while 50% express dissatisfaction; among potential voters, 48% approve, and 50% express dissatisfaction.
The data indicates that as of now, in 2024, the approval rating for the California State Legislature is the highest. According to PPIC’s survey, the majority of Democrats approve of the legislature’s performance, with most Asian Americans, young people, and college graduates holding similar views.
Most Californians believe that the government only does the right thing “part of the time” – 57% of adults and 56% of potential voters hold this view.
Only 5% of adults and 6% of potential voters believe the government “almost always” does the right thing. Additionally, 37% of adults and 38% of potential voters believe the government does the right thing “most of the time.”
While most Democrats trust the state government at least most of the time, two-thirds of independents and 90% of Republicans only trust the state government part of the time.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, 50% of respondents trust the state government to do the right thing “most of the time” or “almost always.”
In 2021, 8% of Californians told PPIC that they completely distrusted the state government. This issue was not included in the latest survey.
Around sixty percent of Californians expect the economic conditions to be very difficult in the coming year. Since November 2021, a majority of Californians have had a pessimistic view of the economy.
Among Republicans, 87% hold a pessimistic view; 65% of independents do as well; less than half of Democrats (43%) are pessimistic.
This pessimism cuts across different regions and demographics, although only half of African Americans hold a pessimistic view.
Californians generally expect their financial situation to remain unchanged in the next six months – 53% hold this expectation. About a quarter expect their financial situation to improve, while another quarter expect it to worsen. These proportions have remained largely unchanged compared to a year ago.