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The California Civic Engagement Project (CCEP)
at the UC Davis Center for Regional Change
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Engage!
CCEP Newsletter
December 21, 2016
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Dear CCEP colleagues, partners and friends:
Happy Holidays from all of us at the California Civic Engagement Project! Thank you for taking the time to read our final, brief issue of Engage! for 2016.
We are proud of what the CCEP has accomplished in 2016, and we are looking forward to new challenges ahead and continuing our work towards a fully representative democracy.
In 2017, the CCEP will focus on research and policy-related work for an inclusive electorate, outreach to low income communities and communities of color, and youth civic education and engagement. We are also working to diversify our funding sources in order to make sure that the CCEP will continue to make a difference with its research and outreach. Please consider
joining our new Donor Circle or establishing a legacy gift. Your support will help ensure the continued existence of the CCEP, and it earns you member benefits.
Speaking of leaving a legacy, there are many ways that we make a lasting impact on the people and places around us. I wanted to share this thoughtful recent Op-Ed piece from the Sacramento Bee that asks us to consider what we leave behind.
We look forward to keeping in touch with you next year and keeping you up to date on new research and news related to inclusive democracy in California and beyond.
In partnership,
Mindy Romero, Ph.D.
CCEP Director
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California Community Engagement Spotlight
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League of Women Voters of California Helps 2 Million Vote with Confidence
Over 2 million Californians used the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund's materials to help them vote with confidence on Election Day last month, breaking previous records for the league. The League provides unbiased, easy to understand voter education materials, including:
- Easy Voter Guide, an online and paper publication in five languages providing summaries of state propositions and election info
- Voter's Edge California, an online tool providing polling locations and personalized ballots with information about candidates, ballot measures, and who funds them. A new Spanish language version of the site reaches even more Californians.
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League of Women Voters of Marin County host Dr. Romero Jan 9th
Who voted and who stayed home? You are invited to attend a free coffee and conversation event on January 9th in San Rafael hosted by the
League of Women Voters of Marin County. Dr. Romero will speak about statewide voter turnout in the 2016 general election.
The event will begin at 11:30 am with coffee and conversation, with Dr. Romero's presentation starting at noon. The discussion will conclude at 1:30 pm. It is being held at the League of Women Voters of Marin County, 4340 Redwood Hwy in San Rafael, in conference room F138 (in the back).
Questions? Contact Veda Florez at the League of Women Voters of Marin County, 415-299-0035.
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Capitol Speaker Series Features Dr. Romero's Take on the 2016 California Election Tuesday January 27th
Voter turnout in California's 2016 general election was relatively robust compared to other recent elections. But to what extent were these voters representative of our state's population? In this election cycle, perhaps more than ever before, media, advocates and pundits discussed the importance of turnout, in particular for Latinos and young people in California. Would the many people registered during the divisive campaign actually cast their ballots in large numbers? Dr. Mindy Romero, Director of the California Civic Engagement Project (CCEP), will present a CCEP analysis of 2016 voter data, diving deep into statewide participation by race/ethnicity, age and geography. She will discuss lessons to be learned from the 2016 election and share insights related to achieving the goal of a fully representative California electorate.
Admission to this event is free with RSVP, and lunch will be served following. Mark your calendars and join us at the Capitol:
Tuesday January 27th, Noon- 1:30 PM
State Capitol Building, Room TBD
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Dr. Romero Presents New Research on 2016 General Election 1/31
The 2016 general election defied the expectations of most political scientists and experts. How did this unusual election turn out in terms of voter turnout? Did more young and Latino Californians cast a ballot than in previous years? Did patterns of under-representation in the Golden State persist, or did we see a shift in our electorate? On Tuesday January 31st, Dr. Romero will present new CCEP research on voter turnout in the 2016 general election at a lunchtime event hosted by the University of California Center Sacramento. This free, hour long event begins at noon, and lunch will be provided. All are welcome. The UC Center is located at 1130 K St. in Sacramento, and we will be in room LL3. To RSVP, please email Greg at gkeidan@ucdavis.edu.
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League of California Cities Latino Caucus Hosts Dr. Romero
Dr. Romero has been invited to attend the
League of California Cities Latino Caucus during their board retreat on Saturday, January 7th in San Francisco. The Latino Caucus is celebrating 25 years of work to advocate on behalf of the Latino community and provide, promote and develop leadership. The board and Dr. Romero will discuss the political engagement of Latinos and how it relates to the well-being of Latino communities in the state. This is an invite-only event.
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California Civic Engagement News
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Record Spending on California Propositions
Individuals and corporations donated over 484 million dollars to support and oppose the 17 ballot measures Californians voted on last month. That breaks the previous record of 438 million spent in 2008 on 21 California ballot measures. See the totals and the biggest spenders using the Sacramento Bee's "Money Trail" data tracker.
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California's New Legislature Has Largest Gender Gap in 25 Years
The 120 member state legislature of California is far more populated by male and white Individuals than the state it represents, according to this recent story from KPCC radio. This in-depth story features CCEP Director Mindy Romero's take on the root causes of under-representation of women and communities of color among our state elected officials.
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National Civic Engagement News
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Facebook to Address Fake News Stories
As we reported in the last issue, fake news propagated on the social networking site Facebook may have misinformed many American voters during the recent election cycle. After first downplaying that fake news stories on his massively popular platform impacted the election, Facebook CEO Mark Zukerburg recently announced that the site will begin rolling out a feature that alerts users to fake news stories next month. Read all about it in the Washington Post.
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How Russia Interfered in the 2016 Election
An investigative piece published one week ago by the New York Times reveals gripping details about how the Russian government attempted to influence the outcome of the recent U.S. election.
This lengthy and well-researched piece of journalism delves into the methods used by Russian agents and explores possible motives. The long-term impact of this cyberattack on the American public's confidence in the electoral system and willingness to participate in it remains to be seen.
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CCEP Outreach: In the Media
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California Voter Turnout Up in 2016 from 2012
The final vote count for California shows turnout was up from the last presidential election in 2012, but slightly lower than we saw in 2008. Three out of four registered California voters cast a ballot last month.
CCEP Director Mindy Romero's analysis of statewide voter turnout is featured in this Associated Press news story published on December 9th.
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What Does it Mean to Live in a One Party State?
A December 7
article in the San Francisco Chronicle by Debra Saunders examines what it means to live in a state where one party dominates the political landscape. The piece features CCEP data on youth voter turnout in California.
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| Share Your Civic Engagement Story with the CCEP |
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Are you working to promote inclusive civic engagement? Do you have a civic engagement success story to share? Share your story with CCEP and you could be featured in an upcoming issue of Engage! Please send your short write-up to Greg Keidan at gkeidan@ucdavis.edu for consideration. Thanks for reading and Happy Holidays!
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UC Davis California Civic Engagement Project
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Kim Alexander
President and Founder
California Voter Foundation
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Matt A. Barreto
Professor, Dept. of Political Science
Professor, Dept. of Chicana/o Studies
University of California, Los Angeles
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Jonathan Fox
Professor,
School of International Service
American University
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Luis R. Fraga
Arthur Foundation Endowed Professor of Transformative Latino Leadership
Professor of Political Science University of Notre Dame
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Lisa Garcia Bedolla
Chancellor's Professor of Education and Political Science
University of California, Berkeley
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Bruce Haynes
Associate Professor, Dept. of Sociology University of California, Davis
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Jongho Lee
Professor
Dept. of Political Science
Western Illinois University
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Peter Levine
Associate Dean for Research and Lincoln Filene Professor of Citizenship & Public Affairs,
Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, Tufts University
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Matt Mahan
Cofounder and CEO
Brigade
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James Muldavin
Executive Director
California Center for Civic Participation and Youth Development
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Karthick Ramakrishnan
Professor of Public Policy
University of California, Riverside
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Ricardo Ramirez
Associate Professor, Dept. of Political Science
University of Notre Dame
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Assistant Professor of Land Use Planning and Law
The Ohio State University
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Cruz Reynoso
Professor of Law Emeritus
University of California, Davis
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Dan Schnur
Director
Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics
University of Southern California
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Shakari Byerly
Partner and Lead Researcher
EVITARUS
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California Civic Engagement Project
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The California Civic Engagement Project (CCEP) is housed at the UC Davis Center for Regional Change and was established to inform the public dialogue on representative governance in California. The CCEP is engaging in pioneering research to identify disparities in civic participation across place and population. It is well positioned to inform and empower a wide range of policy and organizing efforts in California to reduce disparities in state and regional patterns of well-being and opportunity. Key audiences include public officials, advocacy groups, political researchers and communities themselves.
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UC Davis Center for Regional Change
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The UC Davis Center for Regional Change (CRC). The CRC is a catalyst for innovative, collaborative, and action-oriented research. It brings together faculty and students from different disciplines, and builds bridges between university, policy, advocacy, business, philanthropy and other sectors. The CRC's goal is to support the building of healthy, equitable, prosperous, and sustainable regions in California and beyond.
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