Water policy in California's Central Valley: The implications of issue framing on public opinion

California's complex water management issues are often reduced to simplistic political arguments that lead to ill-informed opinions on proposed policy-based solutions. California's water supply has become increasingly stressed in recent years due to a convergence of shifting demographics, regulatory pressures and natural drought. A federal court decision to decrease water deliveries to San Joaquin Valley farms has become the center of contentious discourse regarding surface water diversions and their impact on an endangered fish species, the Delta smelt. San Joaquin Valley farmers and water agencies framed the issue as an attempt by the federal government to control agriculture and economic development, while the environmental community blamed Valley farmers for the declining health of the Delta ecosystem. Though several scholars had studied the impact of frames on public opinion, the relationship between frames, predispositions and environmental issues remained uncertain. The purpose of this research is to understand how frames influence public opinion on California's water issues. Results show that frames have a significant impact on how participants vote regarding proposed policies relating to California water issues. Predispositions regarding environmental protection and economic development also have a significant impact on how participants vote regarding proposed policies relating to California water issues. The results indicate that individuals can be influenced to support or oppose a policy based on the types of values emphasized in an argumentative statement.