Describe the effects of term limits on the California state legislature.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Varies. The effects discussed in the book range across four types of changes: electoral, membership (demographic), institutional, and behavioral. Depending on one's perspective, many can be evaluated either positively or negatively. Among the electoral changes: competition for offices at all levels has increased; open seat primary elections occur with regularity and are competitive; incumbents still have huge advantages and almost all are reelected; intraparty competition has risen as members of the same party become candidates for the next office. Among the changes in membership: higher numbers of ethnic minority members; higher numbers of women candidates (though not higher percentages in the legislature overall); more Democratic women in leadership and the state Senate. Institutional changes: newer legislators have recently experienced the effects of laws; "institutional memory" has drained away; many long-term staff with institutional knowledge have also left and staff positions turn over quickly; legislators' understanding of how state systems/programs interrelate is poorer; the Senate contains more experienced legislators than the Assembly, though this is changing as legislators elected for the first time in 2012 (and after) are choosing to stay in the Assembly for up to 12 years; some lobbyists and administrative branch officials have become more influential because they know subject areas better than legislators; oversight of the executive branch is difficult. Among the behavioral changes: "lame duck" legislators lack accountability to their current districts; long-term, comprehensive lawmaking suffers, while short-term, district projects thrive; there is a sense that "everyone is running for the next office" (this will lessen somewhat as more Assembly members stay beyond the previous limit of 6 years; they are now able to stay up to 12 years in one house).