The Politics and Law of Term Limits

The pros and cons of the hottest political issue of the 90s. Eighty Percent Of The American People Say Congressional Terms Should Be Limited. Fifteen States Have Already Done So, And Efforts Are Spreading To More States And Hundreds Of Cities. Would Term Limits Be A Good Idea? Would They Be Constitutional? The Politics And Law Of Term Limits Presents Both Sides Of The Issue And Lets The Reader Decide. Contributors Include Syndicated Columnist George F. Will, League Of Women Voters President Becky Cain, Thomas E. Mann Of The Brookings Institution, Constitutional Scholar Ronald D. Rotunda, And Former White House Counsel Lloyd Cutler, Among Others. The Founding Fathers Did Not Include Term Limits In The Constitution Because They Thought Citizen Legislators, Not Professional Politicians, Would Be The Rule, And An Overwhelming Number Of Voters From Every Demographic Group In The Nation Believe That Should Be The Case Today. Problems Such As The Burgeoning Federal Deficit Indicate That Careerism And Legislative Experience May Not Be All They Are Cracked Up To Be. Proponents Of Term Limits Argue That Abolishing Careerism Would Open The Political Process To A New Type Of Candidate - The Aspiring Citizen Legislator - Who Wishes To Take A Brief Time Out From His Or Her Work To Make A Contribution To Society. But Opponents Of Term Limits Counter That Such A Change Would Induce An Unhealthy Dependence On Congressional Aides And Professional Lobbyists. Who Is Correct? You Decide. An American Debate / Edward H. Crane And Roger Pilon -- Term Limits / George F. Will -- From The Voters With Care / Paul Jacob -- Term Limits : Not The Answer To What Ails Politics / Becky Cain -- Restoring The University In Rotation : An Essay In Defense Of Term Limitation / Mark P. Petracca -- Congressional Term Limits : A Bad Idea Whose Time Should Never Come / Thomas E. Mann -- The Constitutionality Of State-imposed Term Limits For Federal Office / Lloyd N. Cutler -- State Term-limits Laws And The Constitution / John G. Kester -- Congressional Term Limits And The Constitution / Daniel Hays Lowenstein -- A Commentary On The Constitutionality Of Term Limits / Ronald D. Rotunda. Edited By Edward H. Crane And Roger Pilon. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.