Alternative Viewpoints on California Policy
The Golden State’s economy has lost some of its shine, as evidenced by the downshift in both population and job growth in recent decades. The loss of a US House of Representatives’ seat following the 2020 Census marked the first time in history that the state’s Congressional representation declined. These worrisome trends are happening even as California’s politics become more extreme, too often limiting policy debates to rigid, pre-accepted narratives. Seeking answers in this challenging environment requires high-quality data, a willingness to ask different questions, and a general readiness to look beyond standard arguments in order to find the important nuances that drive effective policy choices.
The School of Public Policy (SPP), known for its commitment to “viewpoint diversity”, in partnership with the respected California-based economic research firm, Beacon Economics, is launching a series of white papers called Alternative Viewpoints on California Policy. Through this collaboration, Beacon Economics’ team and our own SPP academic researchers and graduate students will explore vital California policy issues and debates from a different perspective in the hopes of driving balanced debates. The ultimate goal of this research is to try and steer our common policy narratives towards more data-based understandings, in turn shining light on the kinds of public policies needed to return our state and its many regions to its longstanding position as the nation’s “growth engine.”
About Beacon Economics
Founded in 2006, Beacon Economics, an LLC and certified Small Business Enterprise (SBE) with the state of California, is a leading independent research and consulting firm dedicated to delivering accurate, insightful, and objectively-based economic analysis. Leveraging unique proprietary models, vast databases, and sophisticated data processing, the firm equips its clients with the analysis needed to understand on-the-ground realities and make informed business and policy decisions. Practice areas include community and economic development; economic and revenue forecasting; housing, land use, and real estate markets; economic, fiscal, and social impact analysis; regional and subregional economies; and public policy analysis. Learn more at www.BeaconEcon.com
Latest Research
Understanding the Impacts of Mansion Taxes in Southern California - With a Focus on City of LA's Measure ULA
This report evaluates the market and fiscal effects associated with several major Southern California transfer tax measures, with primary focus on the City of Los Angeles’s Measure ULA (“United to House LA”). Measure ULA, approved by Los Angeles voters in November 2022 and implemented on April 1, 2023, imposed substantial new transfer taxes on property transactions above specified value thresholds. While the measure was intended to generate revenues for affordable housing and homelessness prevention programs, the findings of this report suggest it also meaningfully altered real estate market behavior within the City of Los Angeles.