PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government

Key Findings

The 2024 election cycle was officially launched with the Iowa caucuses in January and the South Carolina primary in early February. President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump are leading by large margins. Governor Newsom released a state budget proposal that deals with a multibillion-dollar revenue shortfall. The US economy continues to show signs of strong job growth, with mixed signals on inflation. In early February, all California voters were mailed ballots for the March 5 primary.

This is the 26th year of the PPIC Statewide Survey. These are the key findings of the Californians and Their Government survey on state and national issues conducted February 6–13, 2024:

• Fifty-nine percent of likely voters would vote yes on Proposition 1, which authorizes $6.38 billion in bonds to build mental health treatment facilities and provide housing for homeless Californians. Democratic congressmembers Adam Schiff and Katie Porter and Republican Steve Garvey are in the lead in the top-two US Senate primary race. Six in ten Republican likely voters say they will vote for former President Donald Trump in the Republican presidential primary. President Joe Biden leads Donald Trump by 23 points in a potential November rematch. Relatively few Californians are “extremely” or “very” enthusiastic about voting for president and for Congress this year. Still, 84 percent say that voting in 2024 is “very important,” including overwhelming majorities across parties.
• Four in ten Californians name economic conditions and homelessness as the top issues for the governor and legislature to work on in 2024. Fewer than half of adults and likely voters think that things in California are generally going in the right direction and approve of the job performance of Governor Newsom and the state legislature. Still, 56 percent say they think that Governor Newsom and the legislature will be able to work together and accomplish a lot in the next year. There is a partisan divide on all of these issues.
• About six in ten Californians believe the state will have bad times financially during the next 12 months, including majorities across the state’s major regions. However, majorities of Californians expect their local economy—and their personal finances—to be about the same or stronger six months from now. Nine percent think it is “extremely” or “very” likely that they, a family member, or someone they know will lose their job in the next six months as a result of economic conditions. Strong majorities continue to say they are less comfortable making a major purchase and other household purchases compared to six months ago. Partisans differ in their views of economic conditions.
• Forty percent think the state budget situation is a big problem. After reading a brief description, 51 percent of adults and 48 percent of likely voters favor the governor’s budget plan. Californians are divided about whether it is a good idea to use state reserves to partially address the current budget situation. Majorities say it is a good idea to use a combination of reductions, delayed spending, and shifts in funding sources. Partisans agree on K–12 public education and health and human services as their top two state spending priorities. Partisans are divided when asked if they would prefer to pay lower taxes and have a state government that provides fewer services.
• More than six in ten adults and likely voters—including half or more across regions, parties, and demographic groups—would support Israel and Hamas agreeing to a ceasefire now. Californians are more divided when asked if they favor the US increasing, decreasing, or maintaining the same amount of military aid to Israel and increasing, decreasing, or maintaining the same amount of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. Californians are divided and many are not sure about whether the US is providing too much, not enough, or the right amount of support to Ukraine. However, most see Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a threat (35% major, 28% minor) to US interests, including majorities across partisan groups.
• Seven in ten think the current situation with the US–Mexico border is a “crisis” or a “very serious problem”—while partisans are divided on whether it is a “crisis.” Three in four Californians say that national security and the well-being of migrants are reasons that they consider this a crisis or a very serious problem. When it comes to migrants seeking shelter at the US–Mexico border, 67 percent say that the US should focus on making sure the process is more efficient. Six in ten Californians say that immigrants are a benefit to California because of their hard work and job skills.
• Six in ten Californians believe the nation will have bad times financially in the next 12 months, and three in four think the nation is generally going in the wrong direction. Forty-two percent of adults and 49 percent of likely voters approve of President Biden; 19 percent of adults and 12 percent of likely voters approve of the US Congress. One in four think that President Biden and the US Congress will be able to work together and accomplish a lot in the next year. About four in ten adults and likely voters are satisfied with the way US democracy is working. Six in ten say that the way democracy is working in the US today has gotten a little (27%) or a lot (33%) worse than it was five years ago.