DOI: 10.7280/d1wc7t
title: Special Survey of Orange County 2002

description: This survey of 2,007 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. It also considers racial/ethnic, income, and political
 differences. The following issues are explored in this Orange County
 Survey: county conditions, public policy, and economic and political
 trends. County conditions include such questions as: What are the most
 important issues facing the county? How satisfied are residents with their
 local surroundings, local public services, and with life in Orange County
 in general? Compared to other regions of the state, how much of a problem
 are issues such as air pollution, the economy, growth, and housing in
 Orange County? 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 second 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 2.9 million residents today, having gained nearly 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 2,007 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:
 
 County Conditions What are the most important issues facing the county?
 How satisfied are residents with their local surroundings, local public
 services, and with life in Orange County in general? Compared to other
 regions of the state, how much of a problem are issues such as air
 pollution, the economy, growth, and housing in Orange County?
 
 Public Policy What types of infrastructure and transportation projects are
 considered most important for Orange County, and how do local residents
 feel about taxes and other funding options? How do residents feel about
 the Great Park plan passed by the voters in March?
 
 Economic and Political Trends What are the recent trends in consumer
 confidence, perceptions of the county's economy, and the
 county's real estate market? How do county residents rate their
 personal finances today? How many consider themselves among the have-nots?
 How do they rate the performance of Governor Davis and President Bush?