Thanks for this survey. We can hope that some of these ideas and organizations will have impact.
But one thing mentioned seems misguided to me. When they began to be seriously advocated, term limits seems like an obvious good thing to me. Having observed them since, here is what I see as the problem. Without term limits, a legislator can largely ignore their party and respond to their constituents. If they stay popular, they can do this for a long time. So the path to a long career is to attend to the constituents. Under term limits one only has a long political career with the help of one's party, as one moves from one office to the next. In my opinion this has increased the partisan aspect of state politics, especially here in Michigan where I've seen it closely.
Interesting. In Congress, you might get a more beneficial natural retirement of members that mitigates all these crazy primary surges, many driven by attacks on long-term incumbents.
Thanks for this survey. We can hope that some of these ideas and organizations will have impact.
But one thing mentioned seems misguided to me. When they began to be seriously advocated, term limits seems like an obvious good thing to me. Having observed them since, here is what I see as the problem. Without term limits, a legislator can largely ignore their party and respond to their constituents. If they stay popular, they can do this for a long time. So the path to a long career is to attend to the constituents. Under term limits one only has a long political career with the help of one's party, as one moves from one office to the next. In my opinion this has increased the partisan aspect of state politics, especially here in Michigan where I've seen it closely.
Interesting. In Congress, you might get a more beneficial natural retirement of members that mitigates all these crazy primary surges, many driven by attacks on long-term incumbents.
Fair point. Might play out differently at the federal level.