Maps

Interactive maps

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RECENT POSTS

June 15, 2012 | 3:04 PM | By

Interactive: Counting the Undocumented in California (and the rest of the country)

Includes: interactive maps

(Click on each state for population estimates of the undocumented immigrant community; source: Pew Hispanic Center)

Although the vast majority of immigrants in California came here legally, the state still has by far the largest undocumented immigrant population in the country, many of whom are young. In fact, it’s estimated that as many as 350,000 young undocumented immigrants living in California are eligible for deferred deportation and work authorization, as a result of the Obama administration’s recent policy shift, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Charts and Infographics, English Language Arts, Government, Law & Power, Maps, california, charts, Illegal immigration, maps, Undocumented
June 14, 2012 | 5:22 PM | By

Interactive Map: U.S. Congressional Representation by State

Includes: interactive map

Click on any state to see the number of current seats it’s represented by in Congress (based on the 2010 Census population figures) and the change – if any – since 2000. The darker the shade of green, the greater the number of seats.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

FILED UNDER: Government, Maps, congress, interactive, maps, redistricting, representation
June 13, 2012 | 5:11 PM | By

Redistricting, California Style: Letting the “People” Draw the Maps

Includes: article; video; radio clip

2011 State Congressional Districts_California Citizens Redistricting Commission

Gerrymandering: it ain’t nothing new in California politics.

For much of the state’s history, the legislature has firmly controlled the once-a-decade redistricting process. New district lines are typically redrawn in a way that directly favors whichever party is in control.

Demographic techniques like splitting apart cities, carving up ethnic enclaves, and leaping across vast geographic swaths to bundle like-minded voters are common gerrymandering tools long used by pols to solidify power. Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: American History, Data Visualization, Government, Law & Power, Maps, Video, california, citizens redistricting commission, data visualization, maps, video
June 7, 2012 | 2:43 PM | By

Redistricting Revealed: The Basics

Includes: article; video; maps

Wikimedia Commons

Welcome to the wild world of redistricting.

We’re in the heat of election season, so you’ve likely heard it mentioned a bunch recently. But how exactly does redistricting work? And, more importantly, why should you care?

Redistricting can be a pretty confusing process, and because it’s so complicated, a lot of voters don’t know much about it, or how it applies to them. But it has a pretty major impact on the power balance of our political system, and on how much your vote ends up counting on election day. Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: American History, Government, Law & Power, Maps, Video, apportionment, congress, redistricting, video
May 18, 2012 | 7:10 PM | By

Prop 29: Should Smoking in California Be More Expensive?

Includes: article, interactive map, radio and video clips

Dr. Jaus/Flickr

That’s the underlying question that Proposition 29 poses to California voters, who go to the polls in June to decide if smokers should pay an extra buck in taxes for a pack of cigarettes.

What would Prop 29 do?

If passed, the measure – called the California Cancer Research Act – would add an additional dollar to a pack of cigs and other tobacco products sold in California (amounting to five more cents/cigarette). It would more than double the current tobacco tax rate – the most dramatic increase in the state’s history.

The estimated $735 million (annually) in new revenue (adjusted for tax revenue lost from the projected decrease in sales) would go toward a special fund administered by an appointed committee to support research on cancer and other tobacco-related diseases, as well as prevention and enforcement initiatives. None of it would be used for medical treatment. Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Audio, Charts and Infographics, Economics, Government, Maps, Video, audio, charts, excise taxes, maps, podcast, Proposition 29, smoking, tobacco, video
March 19, 2012 | 5:45 PM | By

A (mini) Guide to California’s Parks

INCLUDES: INTERACTIVE MAPS AND KQED MULTIMEDIA LINKS

Click on the photo to explore KQED's radio and interactive series on California's parks.

California has a lot of state parks. 278 to be exact – more than any other state in the U.S. Some are tiny specks on the map – mini historic sites that you may have driven by without even noticing. Others are vast swaths of land – thousands of preserved acres of old growth forest, sweeping vistas, pristine beaches. Size and stature aside, each has it’s own significance, and the majority were spearheaded as a result of citizen-led campaigns to make the land public and accessible to anyone who wanted to visit. Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: American History, English Language Arts, Government, Green Space, Maps, Public Services, Video, maps, state parks, sustainability, video
January 10, 2012 | 3:17 PM | By

Building the Empire: California’s Prison Building Bonanza

In 1950, California had four state prison facilities and about 11,500 prisoners. By 2006, at the peak of the state’s prison overcrowding, there were 33 prisons and more than 172,000 inmates! That’s an increase of more than 900 percent!

Since 1950: California’s Prison Building Boom

Continue reading →
FILED UNDER: Government, Law & Power, Maps, Money, california, inmates, maps, prison, prison break, slide shows