"Mark Baldassare examines the powerful undercurrents - economic, demographic, and political - shaping California at this critical juncture in its history, California in the New Millennium paints a realistic and sobering vision of California in the twenty-first century. Baldassare focuses on three trends profoundly affecting the social and political landscape of the state: political distrust, racial and ethnic change, and regional diversity. These trends will make it increasingly difficult to achieve consensus on major public policy issues involving California's future. Baldassare discusses the complexities of this situation and offers a series of substantive recommendations for how California can come to terms with the unprecedented challenges it faces.". "California in the New Millennium also contains a wealth of statistical information on how the state's residents view the economy, population growth, and governance, and their opinions and concerns about key issues such as education, welfare, and immigration."--BOOK JACKET.