DOI: 10.7280/d1rp4j
title: Special Survey of Orange County 2003

description: This survey of 1,004 adult residents includes questions from earlier
 Orange County Annual Surveys. It also includes key indicators from the
 PPIC Statewide Survey for comparisons with the state and regions of
 California. The study also considers racial/ethnic, income, and political
 differences. The following issues are explored in this Orange County
 Survey: Orange County issues, state issues and national issues. Orange
 County Issues include such questions as: What are the trends over time in
 ratings of life in Orange County? How satisfied are residents with their
 finances, local public services, local government, the economy, and with
 the quality of life in Orange County? Compared to other regions of the
 state, how much of a problem are issues such as traffic congestion, the
 economy, growth, and housing in Orange County? What are residents
 preferences for transportation plans and local transportation taxes?Online
 data analysis & additional documentation in Link below.
description: The Orange County Survey a collaborative effort of the Public Policy
 Institute of California and the School of Social Ecology at the University
 of California, Irvine is a special edition of the PPIC Statewide Survey.
 This is the third in an annual series of PPIC surveys of Orange County.
 Mark Baldassare, the director of the PPIC Statewide Survey, is the founder
 and director of the Orange County Annual Survey at UCI and a former UCI
 professor. The UCI survey was conducted 19 times from 1982 to 2000, so the
 Orange County Survey collaboration between PPIC and UCI that began in 2001
 is an extension of earlier survey efforts. The special survey of Orange
 County is co-sponsored by UCI with local support from Deloitte and Touche,
 Pacific Life Foundation, Disneyland, Los Angeles Times, Orange County
 Business Council, Orange County Division of League of California Cities,
 Orange County Register, The Irvine Company, and United Way of Orange
 County. Orange County is the second most populous county in the state and
 one of California's fastest growing and changing regions. The county
 is home to almost three million residents today, having gained
 approximately one million residents since 1980. Three in four residents
 were white and non-Hispanic in 1980; today, nearly half are Latinos and
 Asians. The county's dynamic economy has become one of the leaders in
 the high-technology industry. The county is a bellwether county in
 politics and the site of many important governance issues, including a
 county-government bankruptcy, public controversy over the reuse plans for
 the closed El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, and the use and expansion of
 toll roads. There are also housing, transportation, and environmental
 concerns related to development. Public opinion findings are critical to
 informing discussions and resolving public debates on key issues. The
 purpose of this study is to inform policymakers by providing timely,
 accurate, and objective information about policy preferences and economic,
 social, and political trends. 
 
 To measure changes over time, this survey of 1,004 adult residents
 includes questions from earlier Orange County Annual Surveys. It also
 includes key indicators from the PPIC Statewide Survey for comparisons
 with the state and regions of California. We also consider racial/ethnic,
 income, and political differences. The following issues are explored in
 this Orange County Survey: 
 
 Orange County Issues What are the trends over time in ratings of life in
 Orange County? How satisfied are residents with their finances, local
 public services, local government, the economy, and with the quality of
 life in Orange County? Compared to other regions of the state, how much of
 a problem are issues such as traffic congestion, the economy, growth, and
 housing in Orange County? What are residents' preferences for
 transportation plans and local transportation taxes? State Issues What is
 the overall outlook for the state and the California economy? How much
 confidence do residents have in state government, and how do they want to
 see the state's budget issues resolved? How do residents rate the
 current plans and policies of Governor Schwarzenegger, and what do they
 see as the top policy priorities for the new administration in Sacramento?
 
 
 National Issues What is the outlook for the United States and the national
 economy? How do residents rate the overall performance of President Bush
 and his handling of the economy and terrorism? Which party do they trust
 when it comes to handling issues such as the economy, health care, and
 national security? What are their early preferences in the 2004 national
 elections?