The Rose Institute’s projects explore the social, political, and economic impacts of public policy at the state, local, and, occasionally, national levels. For over thirty years, the Rose Institute has been nationally recognized as a leader in demographic analysis and redistricting research and reform. With extensive experience examining key issues, the Rose Institute has conducted budget analyses for private institutions, and contributed to fiscal research for local governments, among other legal and analytic projects affecting California government.
Miller-Rose Initiative Database
The Database provides information on all statewide initiatives adopted by voters in the United States from the first successful statewide initiative in 1904 through 2013. It allows users to sort voter-approved initiatives by year, state, subject category, and more, and to export data in a variety of forms to meet their research needs. Originally developed by Dr. Kenneth P. Miller of Claremont McKenna College and student researchers as the empirical basis for Dr. Miller’s book Direct Democracy and the Courts, the database supplements the book and provides a resource for researchers and others interested in the development and use of the initiative process. The database also provides a unique source of information on post-election legal challenges to voter-approved initiatives.
Southern California Almanac
The Southern California Almanac is an easy-to-use source for residents to learn more about their communities and become better-informed participants in the political process. The Almanac provides county and city official information, demographic statistics, and economic data on 10 counties and 31 cities in southern California.
Redistricting in America
In February 2011, the Rose Institute launched RedistrictinginAmerica.org, the first website in the country to feature information, news, and analysis on congressional redistricting in fifty states. The core of the project is the exhaustive district-by-district detail of electoral and demographic data and detailed analysis comparing new districts to old. The Washington Post called the site a “must-read” and a “great new redistricting site.” Politico called it a “must click” and “an essential site for the upcoming fight over the congressional map.” Congressional Quarterly’s Political Wire named the site a “must-see.” And Chuck Todd, the NBC News Chief White House correspondent, tweeted a compliment and link to the site. Read more here.
Kosmont-Rose Institute Cost of Doing Business Survey
Since 2003 the Rose Institute has published the Kosmont-Rose Institute Cost of Doing Business Survey. The annual survey collects and analyzes data on fees, taxes, costs, and incentives that contribute to the cost of doing business in 258 California cities and another 47 in the other western states. The result is an in-depth study and cost rating for each city. Detailed survey results are available for purchase. Read more here.
Video Voter Series
The Rose Institute launched its Video Voter Series in 2012 to reach California voters online to deliver the hard facts about upcoming ballot initiatives. Each video contains an analysis of both sides of each initiative, as well as summaries of who is supporting each issue.
Burnweit Database
The Burnweit Database is a biographical database of California’s legislative branch. It encompasses data on all members of the California Senate and Assembly, from 1903 to the present. It provides biographical facts and political career data following the model set by the Biographical Directory of the United States. The Rose Institute is currently updating the database and upgrading the technical aspects to make it more user-friendly and accessible to the public.
Primary Election Project
With the Primary Elections Project, we hope to build a database that provides, for state and local politics, an answer to the question Abramson, Aldrich, and Rohde (2003) asked about Presidential politics: does “changing the rules change the game?” This project, in particular, concentrates on aspects of election administration that alter political outcomes. Since Proposition 14 (the “top-two” primary) has increased interest in primary elections in California, our initial data collection has focused on building a resource to place these new laws in national and historical context. In the coming months, we will use this database as part of an active academic research agenda, conducting analysis and predictions, and then release the database for wider use.
Criminal Justice
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Crime Funnel Project
The Crime Funnel project offers researchers and readers a unique perspective on the criminal justice system over the last two decades. A crime funnel is a graphical display of the likelihood of the commission of a crime resulting in a felony conviction, incarceration, and imprisonment. There is a drop-off at each stage of the process–not all crimes result in an arrest, not all arrests lead to a felony conviction, and not all convictions result in an appropriate sentence. Together, these drop-offs can be displayed in the shape of a funnel. Using data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation the Bureau of Justice Statistics, students have created over 80 crime funnels to examine changes in the criminal justice system.
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Three Strikes
Three Strikes project analyses and compile information about the effect of Three Strikes Law in California, which was enacted by Proposition 184 (1994) as a state initiative. Rose Institute has the only comprehensive database regarding the effects of Three Strikes; the database contains social, economic, political, and crime information within California over time. In addition, the Rose Institute has interactive maps with layers of information at the time of the voting process for the initiatives for Three Strikes Law: Prop 184 (1994), Prop 36 (2000), and Prop 36 (2012). There have been many controversies regarding the law, such as potential petty criminals being sentenced to life. On the other hand, there are strong proponents of the law because of the downward trend in criminal activities. It is the objective of the Three Strikes project to compile information and data as a resource for others to observe various effects of the controversial legislation.
American Community Survey
The American Community Survey Project is a collaboration between Rose Institute Research Assistants and Rose Fellow Douglas Johnson. The project examines changes in citizens of voting age populations (CVAP) by race across California municipalities. Through the analysis of large ACS datasets, the Rose Institute hopes to better understand population growth trends in California. Ultimately, these changes in CVAPs could serve as predictive indicators about changes in California electoral politics.