What will be the effect of term limits?

• Position: Term limits for legislators

Is the enactment of term limits an effective way for disgruntled Americans to express their dissatisfaction with Congress? Even though 15 states have passed term-limit legislation, no one really knows how such limits will affect the course of government. "The concept of term limits has not been difficult for advocates to sell to the American public," explains Dave Rausch, a doctoral candidate and research fellow at the University of Oklahoma's Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center. "On the surface, term limits seem like an easy and economical way to do something about Congress." Many Americans seem to accept the notion that, the longer people are allowed to serve in a legislative body, the le effectively they will represent their constituents.

The constitutionality of such legislation has not yet been established, Rausch points out. A case challenging term-limits legislation in Washington State will be heard in Federal court this year. If court determines that states do not have the right to limit the terms of lawmakers they send to Congress, term-limit advocates could lobby for a constitutional amendment.

As for how term limits will change government, political scholars only can speculate. Many believe they will diminish the power of Congress and that either a stronger presidency or a more formidable bureaucracy would emerge to take up the slack.

With legislators restricted to shorter tenures, it would be more difficult for any of their rank t to pominence. A possible result, some scholars theorize, is that media attention and the interest of the general public in the political process would decline, and the number of people who vote and participate in political campaigns would diminish.

Another theory put forward by political scholars is that imposed term limits would come to be accepted by the public and legislators as the appropriate length of service. As a result, legislator who might have left or been voted out of office after one or two terms might be more likely to serve out the legal limit.

Term-limit supporters believe that, if enacted, it will make legislators more aggressive in taking care of their agenda early in their careers. Under the present system, they contend, legislators become overly concerned with re-election, and their actions are motivated more by political expediency than responsible consideration. In addition, advocates claim that, with term limits, candidates will be elected on merit, rather than...