A Leger survey for the LAT finds that 29% of Americans — and 48% of Republicans think that California is “not really American.” Other findings:
- Over one-third of U.S. residents believe that California is a model other states should avoid (39%), compared to 15% who think it should be copied and nearly half (46%) who believe it is a little bit of both. Democratic voters (25%) are more likely to say it is a model to copy, whereas Republican voters (66%) are more inclined to think the opposite.
- 87% of U.S. residents agree that the state of California is too expensive (cost of living), 76% agree that it is diverse, and 65% consider it a good place to visit. Nearly half (52%) believe it is unsafe, and only one-third (37%) think it is a good place to raise a family.
- 23% of U.S. residents not living in California would consider moving there, as opposed to 77% who would not. The main reasons for considering a move are employment opportunities (26%) and the warmer/mild climate (23%). The main reasons against moving, aside from a general reluctance to move (38%), are that it doesn’t correspond to their way of living (20%) and disliking the politics there (19%). Republican voters (30%) are more likely to reject moving there due to the politics.
- More than half of U.S. residents (58%) think that California has a positive impact on the United States, while 42% think it has a negative impact. Democratic voters are more likely to view California’s impact as positive (87% compared to 33% among Republicans).
- Generally, Republican voters are significantly more likely to have a negative opinion or rate the tested items more negatively compared to Democratic voters, who have a more positive perception of the state of California.
