Californians More Worried About Political Extremism Than Economy, Survey Finds

People enjoy the sunny afternoon on New Year's Eve in a Los Angeles park with a view of the downtown skyline, Dec. 31, 2021. Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images

More Californians are worried about political extremism than the economy, a survey has found.

According to the first Public Policy Institute of California (PPIP) statewide survey released Wednesday night, two-thirds of Californians cite political extremism, economic conditions, or immigration as the state’s most important problems.

The numbers break down to 31 percent who believe political extremism or threats to democracy are the largest problem facing the Golden State, with 19 percent choosing the economy, unemployment, and jobs, while 15 percent see immigration as the largest problem.

Meanwhile, 55 percent of voters approve of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s job performance.

In an October 2024 PPIP survey, 35 percent of Californians viewed the economy, unemployment, and inflation as their top concerns, while 18 percent saw political extremism or threats to democracy as such. Fifty-one percent of adults replied that they would rather pay lower state taxes and have a smaller government than pay more taxes and have more government services.

Heading the Wrong Way

An overall majority in the survey believe that the state is headed in the wrong direction, as seven in 10 expect bad financial times for California over the next 12 months, regardless of their region.

The lion’s share of Californians, 54 percent, think the state is headed in the wrong direction—down from 60 percent in October. Among Democrats, however, 70 percent answered that the state is headed in the right direction.

Seven in 10 believe immigrants are good for California. Most support a way for illegal immigrants in the United States to stay in the country if they meet certain requirements.

Less than half—45 percent—somewhat or strongly support declaring a national emergency along the southern border. That is, 85 percent of Republicans support declaring an emergency, while only 22 percent of Democrats support such a measure.

Four in 10 Californians see the state budget situation as a big problem. In January, Newsom sent the state legislature a $322.3 billion 2025-2026 fiscal plan. Fifty-eight percent support the state’s budget plan, though 52 percent of adults think that using state reserve funds to balance the budget is a bad idea. According to the survey, Californians’ spending priorities include health and human services and K-12 public education.

According to a PPIC analysis released Feb. 3, inflation has cut into Californians’ budgets, while wages in most sectors did not keep pace with inflation. The analysis found that elevated interest rates could temper the housing market and business investments.

Additionally, California’s job growth has trailed the rest of the nation. In 2024, California added an average of approximately 15,000 jobs per month or 1.2 percent annually, below 2022 and the pre-pandemic era.

Meanwhile, approximately 5 million Californians cannot meet basic needs, according to PPIC, while fewer children outlearn their parents than past generations. Younger, lower-income residents are struggling to purchase homes.

A Lending Tree study published this week placed five California cities in the top 10 for U.S. metros with the smallest share of under-30s with a mortgage: San Jose, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, and Los Angeles.