Big Five (California)
Encyclopedia
- This article is about the informal political institution in California. For other uses, see Big Five (disambiguation).
The Big Five is an informal institution of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
state government
State government
A state government is the government of a subnational entity in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonomy, or be subject to the direct control of the federal government...
, consisting of the governor
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
, the Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
, the Assembly minority leader
Minority leader
In U.S. politics, the minority leader is the floor leader of the second largest caucus in a legislative body. Given the two-party nature of the U.S. system, the minority leader is almost inevitably either a Republican or a Democrat, with their counterpart being of the opposite party. The position...
, the Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
president pro tempore, and the Senate minority leader. Members of the Big Five meet in private to negotiate California's state government budget. Because the party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
leaders in California's legislature also control the party's legislative campaign
Political campaign
A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, wherein representatives are chosen or referendums are decided...
funds and the majority party leaders control legislative committee and office assignments, the leaders wield tremendous power over their caucus members. They are thus usually able to guarantee their caucus's votes in Big Five meetings. Therefore, if all five members agree to a budget, it will likely pass into law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
.
Current members
- Governor: Jerry BrownJerry BrownEdmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
(Democrat) - Assembly Speaker: John PérezJohn PérezJohn A. Pérez is a union organizer and politician from Los Angeles, California, who has been the Speaker of the California State Assembly since March 1, 2010. A Democrat, he represents the 46th district in the California State Assembly.-Early life and career:Pérez grew up in El Sereno and Highland...
(Democrat) - Assembly Minority Leader: Connie ConwayConnie ConwayConnie Conway is a Republican politician from California. She is currently in the California State Assembly and is the Assemblymember from the 34th district which takes in many parts of California's Central Valley and High Desert areas. Prior to serving in the Assembly, Conway served as a Tulare...
(Republican) - Senate President pro tempore: Darrell SteinbergDarrell SteinbergDarrell Steven Steinberg is a Democratic politician from Sacramento, California. He is currently serving his second term in the California State Senate, representing the 6th District. He has been the Senate President Pro Tem since 2008...
(Democrat) - Senate Minority Leader: Bob DuttonRobert DuttonRobert D. Dutton is an American politician. He has served as the California State Senate Republican Leader since 2010 and as a Senator representing the 31st Senate District since 2004, after serving two years as a State Assemblyman for the 63rd Assembly District.-Biography:Robert Dutton was born...
(Republican)
GOP 5
During budget talks in 2011, five Republican state senatorsCalifornia State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
broke with their party and were willing to negotiate with Governor Jerry Brown
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
about placing propositions on the ballot to extend tax increases. The five senators, known as the "GOP 5" as a tribute to the "big 5", were: Tom Berryhill
Tom Berryhill
Tom Berryhill is a Republican politician in the United States who currently represents the 14th district in the California State Senate...
, Sam Blakeslee
Sam Blakeslee
Samuel Norman Blakeslee is a Republican California State Senator representing California's 15th State Senate district, a former California State Assemblyman from California's 33rd State Assembly district, and a former State Assembly Republican Leader...
, Anthony Cannella
Anthony Cannella
Anthony Cannella is an American politician currently serving in the California State Senate. He is a Republican representing the 12th district, encompassing Merced and San Benito counties, as well as parts of Madera, Monterey, and Stanislaus counties...
, Bill Emmerson
Bill Emmerson
William "Bill" Emmerson is a Republican California State Senator, representing the 37th district in Riverside County, having been elected in a June 8, 2010 special election and sworn into office the next day...
, and Tom Harman
Tom Harman
Thomas George Harman is an American politician. He is a Republican member of the California State Senate who had previously been a three-term member of the California State Assembly. Both seats represent portions of Orange County....
.