POLI 103A midterm Flashcards
Willie Brown
Longest serving Assembly Speaker for the California legislature from 1980-1995, known for being a politically effective Democrat legislator through his negotiations with the minority party, keeping the Democrats in the majority and advocating for civil rights and LGBTQ
Artie Samish
Early California lobbyist in the late 1940s early 1950s who was the “Secret Boss of California,” representing the liquor industry, horse racing, banks, chemical manufactures, and transportation in soliciting votes with company funding, through his notorious “shrimp hour” strategy was taken out of office after being convicted of income tax evasion in 1953.
Jesse Unruh
Assemblyman and later Speaker of the CA assembly recognized for “professionalizing” the legislature and moving the 3rd House (expert staff) to the speaker’s office throughout the 1960s known as the “Big Daddy” in dispensing campaign funds, legislative perks, and “other doodies” to legislators, professionalizing the legislature through the three S’s: Staff - more and more experts, salaries - enough to make career, session length - full time which ultimately empowered the legislature to do its job, increasing the desire to get reelected
George Deukmejian
Former legislator and CA AG who was elected as a republican governor in 1982 and served two terms. Pursued relatively modest legislative agenda in a Democratic-dominated legislature with a successful record of enacting policies though was known for cracking down on child abuse, the construction of state prisons and generally opposed tax increases and pursued conservative economic policies. Notable for his low-key personality and never eyeing the Presidency, even refusing to seek a third term in 1990.
Prop 140
Passed by voters in 1990, this statute limited term limits in the California legislature to a maximum of 3 two-year terms in the Assembly and 2 four-year terms in the Senate, for a total of 14 years in the state legislature. This would transform the state legislature in accelerating existing demographic trends along with introducing local office holders as well as amateurs from the private sector, ultimately weakening the legislature power in gatekeeping bills and amending then and making staff more dependent on outside groups for bill-drafting expertise. Also gave more control to the governor’s budgeting power in keeping this budget proposal more often.
Prop 28
Passed by voters in 2012 after Proposition 93 failed in 2008. This statute now allowed legislators to serve up the 12 yeards anywhere in the legislature before facing a lifetime ban, allowing legislators to mix and match terms in the Assembly and Senate as well.
Petition Referendum
Aspect of direct democracy where voters can delay and put up got vote a law passed by the legislature and signed by the governor to have repealed.
Government Gridlock
The inability of legislators and the governor to reach consensus on the major policy challenges facing the state. The California legislature in particular is the most polarized
Shrimp Hour
The notorious practice of the Artie Samish era where lobbyist would yse payments from supporting companies and other donors and pay legislators out of pocket for their votes on policy issues through personal enrichment.
Top Two Primary
Put on the ballot by moderate Republican Abel Maldonado and passed by voters in June 2010, this system replaced the blanket primary in allowing voters to choose from all candidates from all parties in any office where the “top-two” ,regardless of party, advance to general election (november election).
Line-item veto
The ability for a governor to reject parts of a bill proposal while signing the rest of the bill. While this ability is common in American governors - existing in 44 out of 50 states it is not possessed by the President of the United States.
Select and Elect
Lobbyist policy used by Artie Samish where lobbyist would “select” like-minded candidates who were most likely to pursue similar policies to contribute towards in helping them get elected and “stacking the deck” against opponents.
Plural Executive
The 7 separately elected executive branch of officers, governors, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, treasure, and controller along with the superintendent of public instruction, which are directly elected by voters and not appointed by the governor.
The Progressive Movement
Opposition to the corrupt convention system of party primary elections who pushed an initiative in 1908 that would call for direct primaries with cross-filling (candidates can run in multiple party primaries) in allowing the state to take over and finance primaries in which party members voted. Also introduced initiative referendum and recall (or reform?) through Hiram Johnson.
Professional Legislature
Initiated by Speaker Jesse Unruh in the 60s, this process was initiated with Prop 1A in 1966 which incorporated more expert staff, increased legislative salaries and increased session length to full time annual meetings which allowed the legislature to set its own calendar and salaries on top of becoming independent of lobbyists and the governor. Ultimately made the CA legislature less of a “rubber stamp” in changing proposals and designing its own bills while making expert staff and full-time members less susceptible to “the whims or special interests of a day job”
