PS 103A: Professionalizing
the California Legislature
Professionalizing the
California Legislature

Artie Samish and His Amateurs

Jesse Unruh and Professionalism
•Moving the 3rd House into the
Speaker’s Office
•Defining Professionalism

Evaluating the Reforms
Artie Samish and His Amateurs

"And how are
you today, Mr.
Legislature?" –
Colliers
Magazine,
August, 1949.
Artie Samish and His Amateurs

Until his 1953 income tax evasion
conviction, Artie Samish claimed to
be the “Secret Boss of California.”
• He represented the liquor industry,
horse racing, banks, chemical
manufacturers, and transportation.
• Samish took payments from companies
and turned them into votes.
Artie Samish and His Amateurs

How Did the System Work?
•Select and Elect.
Samish says that
he mostly selected likeminded
candidates and helped them win.
•Campaign Contributions in
exchange for influence.
•“Shrimp Hour”
Artie Samish and His Amateurs

What was the Legislature like
circa 1950?
•Influenced by “the third house,”
which dangled answers and treats.
•Possessed of less information and
patience than the full time
executive branch.
•Tilted in favor of rural interests.
Artie Samish and His Amateurs

Malapportionment: Any drawing of
legislative districts that does not lead
to equal populations in districts.
• California’s 80-member Assembly was
loosely based on population, but 40member Senate went by county lines.
• 7 million voters vs. 29,000 voters.
• Outlawed by Baker v. Carr (1962)
Jesse Unruh and Professionalism

Elected to the Assembly from
Los Angeles in 1954, Unruh
shifted power in the
Legislature by:
• Moving the 3rd House to
the Speaker’s office
• “Professionalizing” the
Legislature through
Proposition 1A in 1966
Jesse Unruh and Professionalism
Moving the Third House

How Did the New System Work?
•Howard Ahmanson’s Home Savings
and Loan Money went to Unruh.
•“Big Daddy” dispensed campaign
funds, legislative perks, and other
goodies to those in need.
•Legislators supported him for
Speaker and his interests
Jesse Unruh and Professionalism
Professionalization

As Speaker from 1961-68, Unruh
“professionalized” the Legislature:
•Staff – More and more expert
•Salaries – Enough to make it a
career
•Session Length – Full time.
Jesse Unruh and Professionalism
Professionalization
Legislative Professionalism
Professional (10)
Hybrid
(28)
Citizen
(12)
Jesse Unruh and Professionalism
Professionalization

Proposition 1A in 1966
•Allowed the Legislature to set its
own calendar and salaries.
•Passed by a 3-1 margin.
•Unruh also hired expert staffers so
that the Legislature could be
independent of lobbyists and the
governor.
Evaluating the Reforms

The Benefits of Professionalism
• Made Legislature transformative. In
contrast to a parliament that rubber
stamps cabinet requests, it could change
proposals and design bills of its own
• Expert staff made lobbyists less powerful
• Full-time members not tied to the whims
or special interest of a day job
Evaluating the Reforms

The Problems with Professionalism
•Power of incumbency grows with
increased resources, makes
government less responsive
•Special interests still wield power
through campaign contributions
•“Career politicians” drawn from
ranks of staff and local office
What Else Has Changed?
Partisan Polarization
California Federation of Labor Scores in the Assembly
for the Median Member of Each Party, 1933-1999
100
Democrats
80
60
40
20
Republicans
0
1933
1941
1949
1957
1965
1973
1981
1989
1997
NOTE: Labor scores are derived from the annual publication of the California Federation of Labor,
AFL-CIO, recorded and presented by Seth Masket. Scores have been adjusted by the process
described by Groseclose, Levitt, and Snyder (1999).
Districts Have Grown with the
State
1000
Residents per Legislator (1,000s)
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
1950
1960
1970
Assembly
1980
1990
Senate
2000
2010
Cost of Campaigns
Skyrocketed
Budgets Are Often Late
1953
1958
1963
1968
1973
June 15th
deadline*
1978
1983
1988
1993
1998
2003
2008
-100
-80
-60
-40
-20
0
Days early/late
20
40
60
80
100
Discussion Questions

Has the California’s Legislature
come full circle from the Artie
Samish era to today?

Would you support an initiative
to “deprofessionalize” the
legislature? Why or why not?