Overview

Read on for some statistics and insights about the level of civic engagement, political engagement and a “state of the state” overview of Oregon.

Civic and Political Engagement

According to the Corporation for National and Community Service for 2018:

  • 43.2% of residents volunteer, ranking them 3rd among the 50 states and Washington, DC.
  • 1,448,752  volunteers
  • 177.7 million hours of service
  • $4.2 billion worth of service contributed

Looking at political engagement specifically, according to this 2018 Wallethub.com study, Oregon ranks #12 based on a weighted average across the following metrics:

  • Percentage of Registered Voters in the 2016 Presidential Election
  • Percentage of Electorate Who Actually Voted in the 2014 Midterm Elections
  • Percentage of Electorate Who Actually Voted in the 2016 Presidential Election
  • Change in Percentage of Electorate Who Actually Voted in the 2016 Elections Compared with the 2012 Elections
  • Total Political Contributions per Adult Population
  • Civic Education Engagement, CIRCLE
  • Voter Accessibility Policies, Ballotpedia

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Center for Responsive Politics, Ballotpedia and Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, CIRCLE.

 

Women in Oregon Politics

As of 2018, there are 22 women legislators in the Oregon House of Representatives, and 8 in the Oregon State Senate – for a total of 30 out of 90 seats in both chambers. This equals 33.3% of the legislature (Source: NCSL).

See how many women serve in Oregon’s executive offices here.

Oregon ranks 26th in women’s equality in 2018 – based on workplace environment (pay, unemployment and entrepreneurship rate disparity), education environment (education levels and math and reading scores), and political empowerment (disparity in elected offices) (Source: Wallethub).

 

What color is Oregon?

Oregon has 7 electoral votes.  According to 270towin, “Starting in 1988, the state went Democratic and has done so to this day. In 2016, Hillary Clinton defeated Donald Trump by 11%. Oregon’s population has grown steadily over the years, enough so that it has periodically gained electoral votes. The last such increase was in 1984 when it went from six to seven as a result of the 1980 census. Current projections have it gaining an 8th electoral vote for the 2024 presidential election.”

 

State of the State

The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature of Oregon. It is bicameral, made up of the Oregon House of Representatives and the Oregon State Senate.  There are no term limits for representatives serving in either chamber in the Legislative Assembly. Since 2013, Oregon has been a Democratic state government trifecta, meaning that a single political party (in this case the Democratic party) holds the governorship, a majority in the state senate, and a majority in the state house.

There are 30 members in the State Senate.  Each member represented an average of 127,702 residents, as of the 2010 Census.  Oregon State Senators serve four-year terms, without term limits. There are 60 members of the Oregon State house, each representing an average of 63,851 residents, as of the 2010 Census (Ballotpedia).

 

 

 

Budget Process

The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:

  1. Budget instruction guidelines are sent to state agencies from February through May in the year preceding the start of the new biennium.
  2. State agencies submit their budget requests to the governor in September.
  3. Agency hearings are held from September through November.
  4. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature in December.
  5. From January through June, the legislature debates and then adopts a budget. A simple majority is required to pass a budget. The biennium begins July 1.

Oregon is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.

The governor is legally required to submit a balanced budget proposal. Likewise, the legislature is legally required to pass a balanced budget (Ballotpedia).

 

Business Climate

A 2018 CNBC study ranks Oregon #19 in terms of overall business climate:

 

 

Freedom

Oregon ranks #44 in Cato Institute’s 2018 Freedom in the 50 states. The overall freedom ranking is a combination of personal and economic freedoms.

Additional Resources

  • PEW Fiscal 50: State Trends and Analysis
  • PEW Women in Leadership  – see analysis of women in leadership on a national scale
  • National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) Fiscal Survey of States
  • Compare 50 – pick what stats you want to compare with what states here
  • State Data Lab – compare a variety of factors among states here
  • Freedom in the 50 States 2018  – Cato
  • Tax Foundation facts and figures app is available for download

 

 

What You Can Do

As detailed above, Oregonians have expansive potential for engaging in civic-minded and fiscally responsible activity.  By forming Policy Circles across the state, women can lead the way in ensuring that policies are working and responding to individual needs at the local level.

Here’s what you can do:

  • Click “It’s easy, start now” at www.thepolicycircle.org  to start a circle in your area.
  • Read our “Year of Conversation” for an overview of policy briefs on key issues affecting the country and your state.
  • Connect with Cascade Policy Institute, your state think tank and best resource for state level information on key policy issues.
  • Tell a friend or family member about The Policy Circle by sending them to www.thepolicycircle.org.  Any woman who believes in the power of free markets to unleash human creativity can start a Policy Circle in her area.