Political Science 103A: Term Limits & the Legislature

Term Limits & the Legislature The Term Limits Debate Measuring the Impact of Limits Who goes to Sacramento? What goes on in Sacramento? What laws come out of Sacramento?

The Term Limits Debate Turnover in a legislature is the percentage of members who enter/exit the body in a session. Fresh perspectives vs. lost expertise Professionalization changes incentives and thus affects turnover Term limits dictates turnover

The Term Limits Debate Turnover in the US Congress dropped between 1850 and 1900.

The Term Limits Debate Turnover in California dropped from approximately 30-50% at mid century to 25% in the 1970s to 13.5% in the 1980s. Unruh’s reforms provided the will. Willie Brown’s fundraising provided the way for incumbents to stay in office.

The Term Limits Debate: The Pure Politics Pete Schabarum Retired L.A. County Supervisor Republican, favored smaller government Compared Willie Brown to “Kingfish” Huey Long Willie Brown Assembly Speaker from Democrat, favored bigger government “Ayatollah of the Assembly”

The Term Limits Debate: An Academic Dispute End careerism Bring politicians closer to the people Stop expansion of bureaucracy Lose knowledge Sever electoral link Cede power to lobbyists and executive branch

The Term Limits Debate In November, 1990, Proposition 140 passed 52%-48%. It limited members to three 2-year terms in the Assembly, and two 4-year terms in the Senate.

Measuring the Impact of Limits: Who Goes to Sacramento? Number of women in the Legislature grew from 6 in 1977 to 17 in 1987 to 27 in 1997

Measuring the Impact of Limits: Who Goes to Sacramento? Racial and Ethnic Composition of the California Assembly,

Measuring the Impact of Limits: Who Goes to Sacramento? Control Case: Racial and Ethnic Composition of California’s Congressional Delegation,

Measuring the Impact of Limits: Who Goes to Sacramento? “For the first two years you are figuring out what you want to do, in your middle two years you have some leverage, and in your last two you are termed out.”

Measuring the Impact of Limits: What Goes on In Sacramento Chairs’ Prior Tenure in the Legislature (mean years).

Measuring the Impact of Limits: What Goes on In Sacramento “There has been an essential evisceration of the hearing process … Nothing dies anymore, and there are no rules.”

Measuring the Impact of Limits: What Laws Come Out of Sacto? Breadth of Senate Legislation Before and After Term Limits.

Reforming the Reform On the ballot in February, 2008, Prop. 93 changed term limits to 12 total year of service, in whichever house It applied to sitting legislators, and grandfathered a few into a total of 18 years It lost by a 53-47% margin An initiative on the next statewide ballot would make the same change, but with no loopholes and no application to current legislators It is polling at 68%

Discussion Questions Proposition 93 would have allowed legislators to serve 12 years total, rather than 6 years in the Assembly and 8 years in the Senate. What might this gain, and what might it give up? Can we ever trust a legislature to make good decisions on the rules for governing themselves, like term limits and professionalism?