The term-limit movement of the '90s stalls

The surveys found that executive branches have become relatively more powerful than legislative houses in states with legislative term limits. This is a result of diminished power by party leaders from legislative speakers to committee chairs, making it more difficult to oppose governor agendas or override vetoes.

"We have weakened the most representative bodies of state government," says Gary Moncrief, a professor of political science at Boise State University in Idaho. "Legislators are the most important component in the democratic system."

The surveys also found little impact on who was elected to office, despite predictions from the beginning that term limits would significantly diversify legislatures by creating more opportunities for women and minorities.

Term limits have shaken up the legislative processes, however, bringing more turnover, new faces - and disorganization.

"The greased wheel of state governments is relationships between people, and term limits dramatically sever relationships," says University of Akron professor Rick Farmer, host of this week's conference. "It doesn't mean that state government under term limits doesn't work, but it has meant that there is a lot more chaos."

Contrary to predictions, term limits have not given more power to legislative staffs and lobbyists. Instead, lobbyists find they are constantly reeducating lawmakers on the complexities of their issues, says Cristina Rose, a 32-year lobbyist in Sacramento, Calif..

But the movement has also brought a dramatic rise in the ability, through necessity, of legislatures to train themselves and streamline operations.

"States with term limits have found better and far more creative ways to give orientation to freshman, training for staff," says Linda Bowser of the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Mr. Farmer and others say there is a disconnect between those who work in or with legislatures and ordinary voters.

"Those [academics] who study seriously what term limits are doing to legislatures in terms of erasing institutional memory are virtually unanimous in declaring them a disaster," says Larry Sabato, political scientist at the University of Virginia.

Legislators themselves resist term limits for the obvious reason that they constrict the possibilities for office.

Because of these attitudes, ousted legislators with the backing of university researchers often start term-limit reform movements but they quickly run into entrenched opposition. Despite polls that say an organized opposition to term limits might produce results, the movement to roll back term limits has yet to coalesce.

"Lobbyists, legislators, and all those who work in government are working in several states to get movements going to overthrow term limits," says Farmer. "But they keep running into the voters, who are still convinced they are a good thing."

Page: 1 | 2