With sunny beaches and clear skies, California has earned its nickname of The Golden State. For decades, people have flocked to California for a better life, often with a romanticized view of the state. Yet, according to the L.A. Times, this perception of the “Golden State” is far from accurate to some.
Canadian marketing company Leger conducted a survey for the L.A. Times last month involving a thousand U.S. residents, 120 of whom were California residents. Half the people surveyed believe the state is in a form of decline, and 48% of Republicans believe the state is “not really American.”
Students had mixed reactions about the polling results.
“I think that anyone could really see that it’s going downhill,” said Kyle McNamara, a junior majoring in theater from Ohio. “I think the state is in decline…with the homeless issues and the laws that they’ve passed.”
The Republicans surveyed identified California as being un-American, but some students believe California to be the definition of American.
“I feel like American philosophies should be built on the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” said Aditya Thiyag, a sophomore majoring in journalism, and Annenberg Media contributor. “That means providing the best care you can and the best freedoms you can to everyone instead of being discriminatory. I think in that regard, if that’s what it means to be American, then California’s doing a damn good job of it.”
Some who view California as being on a decline say that it is because of its cost of living. California is one of the most expensive states to live in, with the cost of living increasing yearly despite wages being raised to combat it. This has led to residents moving out of California into states like Texas, according to the L.A. Times. The Times also claims some reasons are lower taxes and more affordable housing costs.
While the cost of living may be a factor for many in leaving California, its education is a draw for some. California is typically known as one of the states with the most prestigious colleges. Despite five California universities landing in Forbes’s list of the top 25 schools – with USC being placed 14th — only three in 10 survey respondents believed California’s college education was superior to other states.
One student believes this is partly due to the tuition costs.
“If you’re outside, there’s no real reason I see for you to come in unless you’re super rich because you can’t really afford it, and you can get the same opportunities elsewhere,” said Alyssa Garcia, a freshman studying health and human sciences and an L.A. native. “If you did want to come, you could just get a degree somewhere else where it would probably be a lot cheaper and then move here if you wanted to.”
Even with evidence of people moving out, high prices, along with 50% of those surveyed saying California is on the decline, plenty still believe it is a successful state. About seven to 10 Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 think California has had a positive impact on the U.S., according to the survey. In addition, six out of ten adults agree that California is a trendsetter and positively affects the country.
“California is the trendsetter when it comes to health care practices [and] when it comes to education,” Thiyag said. “I don’t necessarily believe that California is in decline, but I do think it’s better than other areas in the country.”