Public Policy Institute of California

California's 2026-27 budget cleared the this week—but key negotiations with the governor remain unfinished. What do Californians actually want when it comes to tackling the long-term budget crisis? We dug into the latest data to find out 👇

How Californians Want to Fix the State Budget Amid shifting attitudes on the size of state government, Californians share views about tackling the long-term state budget crisis.

NEXT THURSDAY: Join us for a virtual briefing on a report that provides new information about the employment histories of people who were released from California prisons between 2015 and 2019.

Learn more and register 👇

Employment Before, During, and After Prison in California Policymakers have long sought to promote employment among released prisoners through policies and programs that reduce incarceration and broaden access to the labor market. PPIC researcher Heather Harris will discuss key findings from a report that provides new information about the employment histo...

With the November race for governor set, whoever takes the helm will inherit a social safety net under serious strain. Federal cuts to —which keeps nearly 1M Californians out of poverty—have major implications for low-income Californians and for state and county budgets. Our latest blog breaks it down 👇

What California’s Next Governor Needs to Know about the Social Safety Net Delivering a safety net impacted by federal policy changes and rising poverty rates will be a major challenge for California’s next governor.

We're honored that the Kenneth Rainin Foundation included our work in their Turning Points 2025: Year in Review report!

Learn more 👇

We’re thrilled to share our latest Turning Points: Year in Review report. As we reflect on 2025, we are celebrating the beautiful power of showing up for each other.

In the face of widespread uncertainty and fear, our Arts, Education and Health grantees remained true to their work and those they serve.

Read how they created space for care, connection and joy: https://krfoundation.org/year-in-review/turning-points-2025?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=tp25-report

Why is California's enrollment changing—and who is driving those changes? The data show enrollment trends vary sharply by students' language backgrounds, reshaping school demographics across the state.

Read the full analysis 👇

K–12 Enrollment Trends Diverge by Students’ Language Background Public school enrollment in California continues to fall, with a notable drop in the number of multilingual students.

🆕 What does work look like before, during, and after prison? Our new report tracks ~170,000 people released from state prisons between 2015 and 2019—the first dataset of its kind—to find out where improvement is needed.

Full report 👇

Employment Before, During, and After Prison in California Broadening access to the labor market among released prisoners has long been a policy goal, but research in this area has been limited. This report looks at employment histories of Californians recently released from prison and finds that they have struggled to find work. Our findings also point to....

What are Tribal water rights, how did they develop, and why do they matter? The PPIC Water Policy Center sought to answer these questions in our latest report and in a related discussion with Tribal experts. Get the highlights 👇

The Essential Role of Tribes in Regional Water Management What are Tribal water rights, how did they develop, and why do they matter? The PPIC Water Policy Center sought to answer these questions in our latest report and in a related discussion with Tribal experts. Get the highlights!

: Rural counties have been losing population well before recent statewide population declines. The rate of population loss in primarily rural counties is twice that of urban counties.

Explore our fact sheet on rural California: https://bit.ly/4eaBGXa

How did California's election reforms shape the June primary? Our new analysis examines voter turnout, candidate competition, and what the results can tell us about the state's evolving electoral system.

How Election Reform Played Out in California’s June Primary The recent California primary tested the top-two approach and the state’s Prop 50 redistricting plan, passed by voters last fall.

What can California learn from its recent literacy initiatives? Our new policy brief explores what’s working, what isn’t, and where policymakers can focus next.

Policy Brief: Lessons from California’s Early Literacy Policies Reading plays a critical role in educational outcomes and long-term success, but many students lack the skills they need to thrive. Under new literacy policies, reading skills in California have greatly improved, suggesting that growth is possible when the state invests in professional development a...