PBI Quiz: March 2026 - Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs

1. Which organization conducted a poll of the LA mayoral race showing Nithya Raman with a nearly 2-to-1 lead over Karen Bass?

UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies

Loyola Marymount University’s Center for the Study of Los Angeles

Pat Brown Institute at Cal State LA

USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times Poll

2. Los Angeles-area population trends reported in March showed what major shift?

Continued population decline driven by outmigration

Dramatic increases due to unprecedented cold and snowy weather on the East Coast

Stabilization compared to earlier pandemic-era drops

Slight net gains in specific high-income areas

3. A March 2026 California governor’s debate was canceled for what reason?

Concerns about excluding candidates of color

Disputes over who the moderator should be

Threats of student protests over U.S. support for Israel’s actions in Gaza

Budget cuts at USC and ABC7

4. A March poll showed majority support among California voters for which proposed policy?

Expanded housing development mandates

Increased funding for public transit

Stronger renter protections

A billionaire tax

5. In March 2026, Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson revealed during a council meeting that he had recently been pulled over by police while the council was considering what policy issue?

A motion to expand the city’s red-light camera program

A proposal to ban pretextual traffic stops by LAPD

An ordinance lowering residential speed limits citywide

A plan to privatize parking enforcement in Downtown

6. In California civic life, what does “CEQA” most directly refer to?

A zoning code update

A 15-point Scrabble word

An environmental review law

A transportation funding program

7. LAUSD teachers and support staff unions recently jointly announced a strike date of April 14. What was the main reason both unions said they were ready to walk out?

Disagreement over the school calendar length

Anger over the Carvalho FBI investigation and district leadership instability

Stalled contract negotiations over wages — union members said they couldn’t afford to live in Los Angeles

Dissatisfaction with cafeteria food.

8. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco seized hundreds of thousands of ballots in March 2026, claiming to investigate irregularities. What election were the ballots from?

The 2024 presidential election

The 2021 Newsom recall election.

The 2022 Los Angeles mayoral race

A November 2025 special election on congressional redistricting (Proposition 50)

9. On March 26, what major action did the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board take on the K Line project?

Approved the San Vicente–Fairfax route for the Northern Extension

Delayed the project pending a new countywide funding vote

Approved an above-ground route through Beverly Hills

Shifted the project to bus rapid transit

10. The LAPD dramatically ramped up security at the March 15 Oscars, deploying drones, bomb-sniffing dogs, and around 1,000 private security officers. What triggered the heightened alert?

A credible threat from a domestic extremist group targeting Hollywood celebrities

Reports that President Trump was insisting the awards be changed from the Oscars to the Donalds

An FBI warning that Iran may have been planning drone strikes on California targets, launched from a vessel in the Pacific, in retaliation for US strikes on Iran

Intelligence suggesting a protest group planned to storm the Dolby Theatre red carpet

11. How many questions would you prefer in future monthly quizzes?

5 questions

8 questions

10 questions

No preference

March 2026

Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs

Manatt