LibGuides: AP English Language Composition: Hot Topics in California: Agencies and Advocacy Groups

Government Agencies

You can use domain limiters to find all the California government agencies which address your topic:

YOUR TOPIC site:ca.gov

For example:

Immigration site:ca.gov

fire insurance site:ca.gov

transgender site:ca.gov

AI site:ca.gov

California Department of Aging
California Department of Aging (CDA) administers programs that serve older adults, adults with disabilities, family caregivers, and residents in long-term care facilities throughout the State.
California Department of Education Data
Data and statistics collected from California schools and learning support resources to identify trends and educational needs and to measure performance.
DataQuest has Reports for accountability (e.g. API, AYP), test data, enrollment, graduates, dropouts, course enrollments, staffing, and data regarding English learners.
Ed-Data has State, county, district, and school level reports covering topics such as students, staffing, finances, and performance rankings.
California Department of Water Resources Data Links to DWR data and publications include water quality, state water plans, climate data and more.
California Department of Justice
The Attorney General's responsibilities include safeguarding Californians from harm and promoting community safety, preserving California's spectacular natural resources, enforcing civil rights laws, and helping victims of identity theft, mortgage-related fraud, illegal business practices, and other consumer crimes.
California Department of Public Health
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) works to protect the public's health in the Golden State and helps shape positive health outcomes for individuals, families and communities. The Department's programs and services, implemented in collaboration with local health departments and state, federal and private partners, touch the lives of every Californian.
Department of Health Equity
part of California Department of Public Health

Advocacy Groups

The California Policy Center
The California Policy Center is an educational non-profit working for the prosperity of all Californians by eliminating public-sector barriers to freedom.
California Environmental Justice Alliance
CalPIRG
CALPIRG is an advocate for the public interest. We speak out for the public and stand up to special interests on problems that affect the public’s health, safety and wellbeing.
Scan Foundation: California Advocacy Network
Members include community-based organizations, aging and disability service and advocacy groups, and consumer and provider organizations–all of which work to transform care for older adults and people with disabilities
USC LIbraries: Research Guide for Research Centers and Advocacy Groups
Listed are research centers and advocacy groups devoted to studying California or advocating for challenging public policy within the state.

Statistics

California Statistical Abstract The California Statistical Abstract is a compilation of data on social, economic, and physical aspects of the State.
California Quick Facts From the Census Bureau

Think Tanks

Think tanks are groups of researchers, scholars who study particular issues (environment, economy, poverty, etc). Think tanks share their research to inform other researchers, policymakers, interested readers. Think tanks can be ideological or independent and non-partisian. The Think tanks on this list fall into various categories.

The American Enterprise Institute
With its eminent scholars and world-renowned Library and Archives, the Hoover Institution seeks to improve the human condition by advancing ideas that promote economic opportunity and prosperity, while securing and safeguarding peace for America and all mankind.
Brookings Institute
Brookings brings together more than 300 leading experts in government and academia from all over the world who provide the highest quality research, policy recommendations, and analysis on a full range of public policy issues.
The Heritage Foundation
The mission of The Heritage Foundation is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.
Hoover Institute at Stanford
With its eminent scholars and world-renowned Library and Archives, the Hoover Institution seeks to improve the human condition by advancing ideas that promote economic opportunity and prosperity, while securing and safeguarding peace for America and all mankind.
The Progressive Policy Institute
The Progressive Policy Institute is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock.
RAND
RAND's mission is both simple and incredibly complex: We exist to help policymakers make decisions that are based on the best available information. This may not sound much different from the goals of other policy research institutions. But the difference is in the details. At RAND, our results are fueled by the best data, the strongest methods, and the brightest minds.

California Centric Think Tanks

California Policy Lab
The California Policy Lab is a research institute at the University of California. CPL performs rigorous research across issue silos and builds the data infrastructure necessary to improve programs and policies.
Public Policy Institute of California
We provide data-driven, nonpartisan research and spark productive conversations to inspire policy solutions for California’s challenges.

Polling/ Survey

Cornell University Roper Center for Public Opinion Research
Our mission is to collect, preserve, and disseminate public opinion data; to serve as a resource to help improve the practice of survey research; and to broaden the understanding of public opinion through the use of survey data in the United States and around the world.
Pew Research Center
Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions.
Gallup Poll: Social and Policy Issues
The Gallup Poll is the division of Gallup that regularly conducts public opinion polls. Gallup Poll results, analysis, and videos are published daily in the form of data-driven news.
Kaiser Family Foundation: National Health Issues Polling
NORC at the University of Chicago: General Social Survey
For five decades, the General Social Survey (GSS) has studied the growing complexity of American society. It is the only full-probability, personal-interview survey designed to monitor changes in both social characteristics and attitudes currently being conducted in the United States.
Harris Poll
Frequent polls tap into a representative sample of Americans of all ages, genders, income and ethnic backgrounds. From sports to health, politics to the economy, the Harris Poll reflects Americans’ opinions on a wide range of topics and are regularly published by national, local, consumer, business and trade media outlets