12.2: Major Policy Challenges

Identifying Contemporary Issues

How do we know what policy challenges face us? As in our personal lives, many issues deserve our concern. First, there are issues that we understand, and it is just a matter of mustering the political muscle to get things done. This is the public policy equivalent of getting in shape: exercise, lose weight and stop smoking. Cigarettes actually provide an excellent public policy example, too. Health advocates had to prevent the tobacco companies from fogging the public debate with misinformation. A whole generation struggled with lung cancer not because of a lack of knowledge but because of the failure of the political system to do the right thing.

Second, sometimes, we have incomplete knowledge about an issue, and we know it. With open minds and sound research, policy analysts believe that they can close this gap. On a personal level, uncertainty about college majors may be reduced by finding real-world experiences, such as internships, allowing students to evaluate their majors. In the policy world, the same thing occurs. Epidemiologists study the spread of the coronavirus and make recommendations based on new evidence. Entomologists investigate the collapse of the monarch butterfly population, discover that forest fires destroyed vital habitats, and urge gardeners to plant milkweed to help the butterflies make their migration to Mexico ("Milkweed for Monarchs"). Inquiry leads to knowledge to improve policymaking.

Third, an even more difficult situation exists: when we don’t know that we don’t know about something. Logically, there must be issues that we should investigate but are not because we don’t know they exist. This omission may emerge because we assume the past is a good guide to the future. For example, on a personal level, we may have learned to weather crises stoically and quietly. Just soldier on and don’t say anything. Then, unaware of the impact of neglecting our mental health, we may set ourselves up for post-traumatic stress syndrome years later.

In the same way, as a society, we may focus too much on historical lessons, preparing for the last crisis rather than seeking to adapt to current conditions. Air transportation officials prepare for potential hijackers rather than terrorists. Then, on September 11, 2001, the military was not prepared to defend US cities against civilian airplanes hijacked by Al Qaeda members. In California, we know that we must investigate the long-term impact of climate change on the environment. We must also prepare more for the increased frequency of natural disasters such as floods and fires. However, our scientific knowledge about the environment remains incomplete, and we may not be investigating every question we should ask.

Let’s return to the question of identifying the significant policy challenges that face California.

In a democracy, the people have a central role in both identifying issues and prioritizing their importance. Thus, it makes sense to start with public opinion. The Public Policy Institute of California regularly investigates public perceptions of the state's most important issues. A 2023 survey shows Californians were most concerned about the state of the economy, followed by homelessness and the housing crisis (Table \(\PageIndex{1}\) ).

Table \(\PageIndex{1}\) : Most Important Issue Facing California (2023)

Issue	The percentage saying that this is the most important issue
Jobs, economy	27
Homelessness	16
Housing Costs, availability	11
Crimes, Gangs, Drugs	7
Environment, pollution, climate change	6
State budget, deficit, spending, taxes	5
Government in general	5
Immigration, illegal immigration	4
Water, Water quality, availability, drought	2
Other	12
Don't know	6

These surveys are like thermometers, showing what is on our minds compared to previous ones asking similar questions. While insight into current attitudes provides a helpful snapshot, the scope of this survey conducted with phone interviews doesn’t allow for much introspection. We don’t learn how Californians link their thinking about an issue to the larger historical context of the state. Do people credit themselves for their good fortune? Blame the government when they lose their jobs? Connect the international economy to their livelihood? We don’t know. Such surveys also don't tell us what issues we don't yet know should matter to us. Nonetheless, the survey provides insight for scholars and public officials who wish to respond to popular concerns.

A second way to identify the state's challenges is to turn to organizations that systematically study California politics and public policy. Three kinds of organizations do this work: think tanks with nonpartisan or partisan orientations, university centers devoted to particular policy concerns, and government agencies tasked with presenting information to elected officials. The Public Policy Institute of California conducts regular public opinion surveys. It presents nonpartisan systematic studies of all significant public policy issues, including the budget, criminal justice, the economy, education, energy, the environment, government reform, health care, housing, transportation, and water. UC Berkeley’s Institute of Government Studies examines many state public policies and conducts regular public opinion surveys. Turning to government, the Legislative Analyst’s Office provides thorough nonpartisan research and analysis for representatives regarding all major policy areas.

Once we identify a policy challenge to study, the next step is to select a method for analysis.