The Rule of Five

[Introduction] The County of Los Angeles was established on February 18, 1850, as one of the 27 original counties of California. In 1852, the Legislature created the office of Supervisor, and five Supervisors were elected to govern the County. Since 1887, the term of service has been 4 years. Table I exhibits the average number of terms served per Supervisor for various periods; the average is rising, suggesting that Supervisors have become more career-oriented (as have Congressmen) over the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. (The evidence for this suggestion is not as clear as in the Congressional case, however, where the tenure evidence, besides being clearer, can be mortised with data on the institutionalization of Congress.)