Survey Results
NCSL's Online Term Limits Poll
Updated 7/18/03
A majority of the 150 respondents to NCSL's 2000 online term limits survey, 83 percent, reported that they do not support term limits. As one legislative staffer commented, "Term limits are a classic example of the fix not addressing the problem." About 26 percent of the respondents say that their opinion of term limits has changed since they were implemented. Judging by the comments these respondents made, it's apparent that most were supporters of term limits in theory, but once they went into effect, their opinions became more negative. One legislative staffer commented, "Originally, I believed that fresh blood would be good; however, experience, understanding of the process and historical knowledge are lost. The same debates occur year after year."
Many of the responses reflect this staffer's negative view of term limits. 74 percent say that their legislature is less efficient since the implementation of term limits; only eight percent say efficiency has improved. Responses regarding the effectiveness of legislative committees are similar - only six percent say committees have become more effective since the implementation of term limits, while 68% report that they are less effective. A state government official summed up his views of the efficiency and effectiveness of his state's legislature with this: "Too many legislators feel hard-pressed to make an immediate impact without full knowledge of the implications of their decisions." A legislative staffer wrote that the combination of hearing the same debates year after year and the loss of historical knowledge results in an extremely cumbersome legislative process. Another reported that the highly politicized environment term limits have created in her state have undermined the patience, cooperation, and focus on incremental change that is necessary to enact good policy. Other problems that were reported as contributing to the decline in efficiency and effectiveness are the focus on majority policies and suppression of other interests, lack of interest in long-term policy issues, lack of legislative oversight, and inexperienced committee chairs.
The survey results show that few of term limits proponents' rosy predictions about the effects of term limits have become reality, but neither have some of the opponents' predictions of doom. Proponents claimed that term limits would help to increase diversity in legislatures and provide more public access. NCSL's survey shows that most people - 51 percent - say there has been no change in diversity thanks to term limits, and 22% actually say their legislature is less diverse than before. Most - 66% -- also say that there has been no change in the degree of public access to the legislature. Among the many dire predictions of term limits opponents were that house chambers would lose power to senate chambers, and that legislative leaders would lose power. The results of NCSL's survey show that this hasn't necessarily happened, at least not to the degree that opponents feared. 56 percent of respondents say that the house-senate power relationship has not changed, and 39% report that the senate in their state has gained power at the expense of the house. 76 percent say that the power of legislative leaders hasn't changed under term limits.
It is clear, however, that the balance of power is shifting under term limits. 66 percent of respondents report that legislative staff have gained influence in the legislative process under term limits, and 75 percent say lobbyists have gained influence. 63 percent say that the executive branch has gained power over the legislative branch. On this subject, one respondent wrote:
Even though I am a member of the executive branch and will have more "power" due to term limits, I don't want it. Term limits will skew the balance of power in state government by giving more power to the information providers - the executive branch, legislative staff, and lobbyists. In terms of government experience and institutional memory, legislators will now be disadvantaged, forever. In terms of knowing how to get things done, legislators will now be disadvantaged, forever. In a world that becomes more complex every year, the majority of people who foisted this term limit scheme onto our democracy have now mandated that their representatives will always be rookies or just a few years beyond being rookies. They have proclaimed that they don't want the benefits that come from wisdom through experience."
So are the term limited legislatures just sitting back and watching the negative changes? If not, what are they doing to adapt to their new realities? Over half of the respondents who are from term limited states report that their legislatures are taking proactive steps to adapt and to mitigate the negative effects they're experiencing. The area they're working the hardest to improve is training, both for members and staff. New member orientation programs have been expanded to include training on the legislative process, history of the legislature, policy briefings, consensus building, and conflict management. Ongoing training is provided to members as well, on subjects including chairing committees and leadership skills. Improved legislative staff training programs include team-building and communication skills. States also report that they've improved their recruitment efforts in order to find the best candidates, established mentoring programs and improved their technology. Finally, a number of states have introduced legislation to extend the limits, but without any success so far.
Complete Survey Results
Type of Respondent
|
Legislator |
7 |
|
Legislative Staff |
87 |
|
Lobbyist |
11 |
|
Other |
29 |
Do you support term limits for legislators?
Has your opinion about term limits changed since they were implemented in your state?
As a result of term limits, do you think the members of your state legislature are
|
More diverse |
27% |
|
Less diverse |
22% |
|
Unchanged |
51% |
As a result of term limits, do you think your legislature is
|
More efficient |
8% |
|
Less efficient |
74% |
|
Unchanged |
18% |
As a result of term limits, are legislative committees in your state
|
More effective |
6% |
|
Less effective |
68% |
|
Unchanged |
26% |
In your state, have term limits resulted in
|
More public access to the legislature |
13% |
|
Less public access to the legislature |
21% |
|
No change in public access |
66% |
As a result of term limits in your state,
|
The House has gained power over the Senate |
5% |
|
The Senate has gained power of the House |
39% |
|
The power relationship is the same |
56% |
Have term limits affected the process of selecting legislative leaders in your state?
|
Yes |
70% |
|
No |
14% |
|
Not applicable |
16% |
As a result of term limits, are legislative leaders in your state
|
More powerful |
7% |
|
Less powerful |
17% |
|
As powerful as before term limits |
76% |
Are the legislators elected under term limits in your state more or less likely to support discretionary, or "pork barrel," spending?
|
More likely |
38% |
|
Less likely |
16% |
|
Don't know |
46% |
Has the legislative budget process changed in your state as a result of term limits?
|
Yes |
42% |
|
No |
36% |
|
Not applicable |
22% |
As a result of term limits in your state
|
The executive branch has gained power |
63% |
|
The legislative branch has gained power |
32% |
|
The power relationship is the same |
5% |
As a result of term limits in your state, do legislative staff exert
|
More influence in the legislative process |
66% |
|
Less influence in the legislative process |
20% |
|
The same amount of influence as before |
14% |
As a result of term limits in your state, do lobbyists exert
|
More influence in the legislative process |
75% |
|
Less influence in the legislative process |
21% |
|
The same amount of influence as before |
4% |
Has your legislature taken steps to respond to the implementation of term limits?
|
Yes |
40% |
|
No |
34% |
|
Not applicable |
26% |
For More Information on Term Limits
Jennie Drage Bowser tracks term limits, and may be reached at 303-364-7700 or elections-info@ncsl.org.
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