Know Your Capitols
Patrice LaHair, Tom Qualtere, & Gideon Grande
Staff
3428
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1265
935
1000
539
500
0
CT
MA
NJ
NY
Salary (Dollars)
90,000
79,500
80,000
70,000
60,000
55,569
49,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
28,000
20,000
10,000
CT
MA
NJ
NY
Session Length (Months)
12
6
0
CT
MA
NJ
NY
Time Spent
100%
90%
90%
90%
80%
75%
70%
65%
60%
50%
CT
MA
NJ
NY
% of Women
35%
30%
29%
25%
25%
23%
20%
18%
15%
10%
CT
MA
NJ
NY
% African-American
16%
14%
14%
13%
12%
10%
8%
7%
6%
4%
3%
2%
0%
CT
MA
NJ
NY
Turnover Rate
20%
17%
15%
11%
11%
10%
Data Not Available
5%
CT
MA
NJ
NY
Legislature Health
• NY is the most professional state
government
• Except Budget Time Runs Smoothly
• Partisanship Doesn’t Interfere with
the Day to Day Operation of the State
Assembly v. Senate
Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan)
Majority Leader Joe Bruno (R-Rensslear)
•Majority so large Silver can
pass anything he wants – No Partisan
Bickering
•Silver hated by Republicans, they try
to oppose him but futile
•Small majority, needs to work with Dems
More than Silver
Assembly v. Senate
• NY isn’t “sick”
– Things get done (Budget?)
– Shady behind closed doors power politics
between Silver, Bruno, & Pataki
• Two Parties, Two Houses
– They have to work together
– Each Party needs the other
Institutions
• Large Staff
– 3500 people must have a purpose
• Large Compensation
– Salary, Per Diem, Old Lobbying Laws
• Commitment
– 4000 people spending 90% of their time on
NYS affairs better be getting things done
• Low Turnover
– Professional Life-time politicians
Composition
• Women
– National Average
– Legislatures are Life-time professionals so
fewer women b/c there isn’t enough time for a
political career and a family
– Hard to raise children if one is in Albany 3 or 4
days a week
• African-Americans
– Substantially Higher than National Average
– NYC, Liberal, Large Population
Conclusions
• Professionalism Helps
• Balancing act done well by Bruno & Silver
• Throwing large amounts of money and
manpower is an effective method to
administer policies and services in a large
and diverse state like NY
Future Governor Donald & First Lady Melania Trump?