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House Research Department <br />Term Limits for Elective Office <br /> <br />November 1993 <br /> Page 9 <br /> <br />Arguments For and Against Term Limits <br /> <br />LegisJ ators considering the issue of term limits may find it useful to review co/'nmonly made <br />"pro" and "con'~ arguments.9 <br /> <br />Term limits prOmote demgcracy by ensuring <br />more competitive elections because <br />incumbents caunot nm as often. <br /> <br />Since the president and many governors <br />have term limits, legislators should have <br />them too. <br /> <br />Name recognition and other incumbent <br />advantages make elections unfaix. A <br />guaranteed open seat ensures competition. <br /> <br />Term limits wi.il curb the power of career <br />lobbyists over individual members. <br /> <br />The "citizen legislature" created by term <br />iimits means members will not be corrupted <br />by power. <br /> <br />Term limits will bring new talent. <br /> <br />Less focus on being re-elected means <br />members can stop concentrating on <br />constituent issues and do more policy work. <br /> <br />Limiting tenure: will .keep seniority from <br />monopolizing legislative leadership. <br /> <br />Term limits will promote amateur citizen <br />legislators rather than professional <br />politicians. <br /> <br />Voters already can vote out elected officials <br />they no longer want. Term limits deny <br />voters access to popular incumbents. <br /> <br />Even if executive term limits are a good <br />idea, applying them to the legislature will <br />give the president or governor too much <br />power. <br /> <br />Public financing and equal spending <br />requirements for candidates would ensure <br />fairer elections. <br /> <br />Seasoned lobbyists and staff may dictate <br />policy to legislators. <br /> <br />Government is too complex to be mastered <br />by a legislator with only a short time to <br />serve. <br /> <br />Term limits will eliminate experienced, <br />knowledgeable members. <br /> <br />Citizens wh6 benefit from an ombudsman at <br />the capitol will lose some of that service. <br /> <br />Inexperienced members may obtain <br />leadership positions before they are ready. <br /> <br />Instead of professional politicians, term <br />limits may bring out representatives of <br />special economic interests who are willing <br />to serve a short time to further their <br />industry's needs. <br /> <br /> ~rhe first six pans of items on this list are contained in the State Capitol Report, "Voters, Politicians, and <br />Term Limits: The Wax of Representative Government." January 1992, by Robert T. Geolas. The remaln~ng <br />items axe summarlzefl from a number of articles on term lira{t3. <br /> <br /> <br />