Hostname: page-component-cc8bf7c57-pd9xq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-11T01:30:18.984Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Do Term Limits “Limit” the Speaker? Examining the Effects of Legislative Term Limits on State Speaker Power

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 June 2021

Laine P. Shay Open the ORCID record for Laine P. Shay [Opens in a new window]
Laine P. Shay*
Affiliation:
The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
*
Laine P. Shay, Department of Social Sciences, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 6300 Ocean Drive, Unit 5826, Corpus Christi, TX78412, USA. Email: laine.shay@tamucc.edu
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

What is the role of legislative term limits in the structure of legislative institutions? Using Mooney’s collective action problem theoretical framework on legislative leadership power, I claim that legislative term limits should be a key determinant in a state Speaker’s power via the delegation of institutional tools that control the lawmaking process. Speakers can use these tools to influence policy outcomes and their colleagues. I test this expectation in an analysis of lower chamber rules in nearly all states between 1981 and 2015. The results indicate that states with implemented term limits are associated with a more powerful Speaker. These findings suggest that a more nuanced relationship between legislative term limits and leadership power exist than previously thought.

Keywords

term limitsspeaker powerstate politics
Type
Original Article
Information
State Politics & Policy Quarterly , Volume 21 , Issue 2 , June 2021 , pp. 139 - 164
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aguilar, John . 2017. “Hope still Alive for Construction Defects Reform as Bills in Legislature Die One by One.” The Denver Post, March 20. http://www.denverpost.com/2017/03/20/construction-defects-reform-legislature/.Google Scholar
Aldrich, John H., Rohde, David W. 2001. “The Logic of Conditional Party Government.” In Congress Reconsidered, eds. Dodd, Lawrence C., Oppenheimer, Bruce I. 7th ed. Washington, DC: CQ Press, 269–92.Google Scholar
Alt, James E., Lowry, Robert C. 1994. “Divided Government, Fiscal Institutions, and Budget Deficits: Evidence from the States.” American Political Science Review 88 (4): 811–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Apollonio, Dorie E., La Raja, Raymond J. 2006. “Term Limits, Campaign Contributions, and the Distribution of Power in State Legislatures.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 31:259–81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bagashka, Tanya, Clark, Jennifer Hayes . 2014. “Electoral Incentives and Legislative Organization an Examination of Committee Autonomy in US State Legislatures.” State Politics & Policy Quarterly 14 (3): 297–320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baker, Travis J., Hedge, David M. 2013. “Term Limits and Legislative-Executive Conflict in the American States.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 38 (2): 237–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Battista, James Coleman. 2011. “Formal and Perceived Leadership Power in US State Legislatures.” State Politics & Policy Quarterly 11 (1): 102–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Battista, James Coleman, Richman, Jesse T. 2011. “Party Pressure in the US State Legislatures.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 36 (3): 397–422.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bender, Jonathon, Glazer, Amihai, Hammond, Thomas H. 2001. “Theories of Delegation.” Annual Review of Political Science 4:235–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berman, David R. 2007. “The Effects of Legislative Term Limits in Arizona: More Churning, More Chaos, and a Diminished Institutional Role for Legislators.” In Legislating without Experience: Case Studies in State Legislative Term Limits, eds. Farmer, Rick, Mooney, Christopher Z., Powell, Richard J., Green, John C. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.Google Scholar
Berry, William D., Fording, Richard C., Ringquist, Evan J., Hanson, Russell L., Klarner, Carl E. 2010. “Measuring Citizen and Government Ideology in the U.S. States: A Re-Appraisal.” State Politics and Policy Quarterly 10 (2): 117–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bowler, Shaun, Donovan, Todd . 2004. “Measuring the Effect of Direct Democracy on State Policy: Not All Initiatives are Created Equal.” State Politics & Policy Quarterly 4 (3): 345–363.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bowser, Jennifer Drage . 2005. “The Effects of Legislative Term Limits.” In The Book of the States, 111–15. https://www.csg.org/knowledgecenter/docs/BOS2005-LegislativeTermLimits.pdf.Google Scholar
Bowser, Jennifer Drage, Jones, Rich, Kurtz, Karl T., Rhyme, Nancy, Weberg, Brian . 2003. “The Impact of Term Limits on Legislative Leadership.” In The Test of Time: Coping with Legislative Term Limits, eds. Farmer, Rick, Rausch, John David, Green, John C. Lexington: Lexington Books, 119–32.Google Scholar
Bowser, Jennifer Drage, Moncrief, Gary . 2007. “Term Limits in State Legislatures.” In Institutional Change in American Politics: The Case of Term Limits, eds. Kurtz, Karl, Cain, Bruce, Niemi, Richard . Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 10–21.Google Scholar
Burger, Deborah . 2018. “California Needs SB 562 to Guarantee Health Care for All.” The San Diego Tribune, January 24. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/opinion/commentary/sd-utbg-healthcare-california-sb562-story.html.Google Scholar
Cain, Bruce E., Levin, Marc A. 1999. “Term Limits.” Annual Review of Political Science 2 (1): 163–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cain, Bruce E., Wright, Gerald . 2007. “Committees.” In Institutional Change in America Politics: The Case of Term Limits, eds. Kurtz, Karl T., Cain, Bruce, Niemi, Richard G. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 73–89.Google Scholar
Carey, John M., Niemi, Richard G., Powell, Lynda W. 2009. Term Limits in State Legislatures. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.Google Scholar
Carey, John M., Niemi, Richard G., Powell, Lynda W., Moncrief, Gary F. 2006. “The Effects of Term Limits on State Legislatures.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 31 (1): 105–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carrubba, Clifford J., Volden, Craig . 2000. “Coalitional Politics and Logrolling in Legislative Institutions.” American Journal of Political Science 44:261–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clucas, Richard A. 2001. “Principal-Agent Theory and the Power of State House Speakers.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 26 (2): 319–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clucas, Richard A. 2007. “Legislative Professionalism and the Power of State House Leaders.” State Politics & Policy Quarterly 7 (1): 1–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clucas, Richard A. 2009. “The Contract with America and Conditional Party Government in State Legislatures.” Political Research Quarterly 62 (2): 317–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dahl, Robert A. 1957. “The Concept of Power.” Behavioral Science 2 (3): 201–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Editorial Board. 2017a. “Killing California’s Single-Payer Health Care Bill Was Right Call.” The San Diego Union-Tribune, June 27. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/opinion/editorials/sd-rendon-single-payer-health-care-20170627-story.html.Google Scholar
Editorial Board. 2017b. “Rendon Right to Halt Hollow Single-Payer Health Care Bill.” The Orange County Register, June 27. https://www.ocregister.com/2017/06/27/rendon-right-to-halt-hollow-single-player-health-care-bill-2/.Google Scholar
Farmer, Rick, Little, Thomas H. 2007. “Legislative Power in the Buckeye State: The Revenge of Term Limits.” In Legislating without Experience: Case Studies in State Legislative Term Limits, eds. Farmer, Rick, Mooney, Christopher Z., Powell, Richard J., Green, John C. Lantham: Lexington Books, 43–54.Google Scholar
Fenno, Richard F. Jr. 1978. Home Style: House Members in their Districts. Boston: Little, Brown and Company.Google Scholar
Fiorina, Morris P. 1986. “Legislator Uncertainty, Legislative Control, and the Delegation of Legislative Power.” Journal of Law, Economics, & Organization 2 (1): 33–51.Google Scholar
Hamm, Keith E., Hedlund, Ronald D., Martorano, Nancy. 2001. “Structuring Committee Decision-Making: Rules and Procedures in US State Legislatures.” Journal of Legislative Studies 7 (2): 13–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hasecke, Edward B., Mycoff, Jason D. 2007. “Party Loyalty and Legislative Success Are Loyal Majority Party Members More Successful in the US House of Representatives?” Political Research Quarterly 60 (4): 607–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hedlund, Ronald D., Coombs, Kevin, Martorano, Nancy, Hamm, Keith E. 2009. “Partisan Stacking on Legislative Committees.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 34 (2): 175–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
KGNU. 2016. “The Committees Where Bills Are Sent to Die.” KGNU News, March 21. http://news.kgnu.org/2016/03/the-committees-where-bills-are-sent-to-die/.Google Scholar
King, James D. 2000. “Changes in Professionalism in US State Legislatures.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 25 (2): 327–343.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kingdon, John W. 1973. Congressmen’s Voting Decisions. New York: Harper & Row.Google Scholar
Kirkland, Justin H. 2011. “The Relational Determinants of Legislative Outcomes: Strong and Weak Ties between Legislators.” The Journal of Politics 73 (3): 887–898.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Klarner, Carl . 2003. “The Measurement of the Partisan Balance of State Government.” State Politics and Policy Quarterly 3 (3): 309–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kousser, Thad. 2005. Term Limits and the Dismantling of State Legislative Professionalization. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Kuhlmann, Robynn, Lewis, Daniel C. 2017. “Legislative Term Limits and Voter Turnout.” State Politics & Policy Quarterly 17:372–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lazarus, Jeffrey, Monroe, Nathan W. 2007. “The Speaker’s Discretion: Conference Committee Appointments in the 97th through 106th Congresses.” Political Research Quarterly 60 (4): 593–606.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lewis, Daniel C. 2012. “Legislative Term Limits and Fiscal Policy Performance.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 37 (3): 305–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Markus, Gregory B. 1979. Analyzing Panel Data. Sage University Paper Series on Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences, Series No. 07-018. Beverly Hills: SAGE.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martorano, Nancy . 2004. “Cohesion or Reciprocity? Majority Party Strength and Minority Party Procedural Rights in the Legislative Process.” State Politics & Policy Quarterly 4 (1): 55–73.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martorano, Nancy . 2006. “Balancing Power: Committee System Autonomy and Legislative Organization.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 31 (2): 205–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Masket, Seth E., Lewis, Jeffrey B. 2007. “A Return to Normalcy? Revisiting the Effects of Term Limits on Competitiveness and Spending in California Assembly Elections.” State Politics and Policy Quarterly 7:20–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mason, Melanie . 2018. “Single-Payer Debate Resurges in California Capitol, as Opposition from Health Providers Ramps Up.” The Los Angeles Times, January 17. http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-single-payer-debate-resurges-in-1516150086-htmlstory.html.Google Scholar
Mayhew, David R. 1974. Congress: The Electoral Connection. New Haven: Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Miller, Susan M., Nicholson-Crotty, Jill . 2012. “Bureaucratic Effectiveness and Influence in the Legislature.” Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 22 (2): 347–71.Google Scholar
Miller, Susan M., Nicholson-Crotty, Jill, Nicholson-Crotty, Sean . 2011. “Reexamining the Institutional Effects of Term Limits in US State Legislatures.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 36 (1): 71–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miller, Susan M., Nicholson-Crotty, Jill, Nicholson-Crotty, Sean . 2018. “The Consequences of Legislative Term Limits for Policy Diffusion.” Political Research Quarterly 71 (3): 573–585.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moncrief, Gary, Niemi, Richard G., Powell, Lynda W. 2008. “Turnover in State Legislatures: An Update.” Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Western Political Science Association, San Diego.Google Scholar
Moncrief, Gary F., Thompson, Joel A. 2001. “On the Outside Looking in: Lobbyists’ Perspectives on the Effects of State Legislative Term Limits.” State Politics and Policy Quarterly 1:394–411.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mooney, Christopher Z. 2012. “Explaining Legislative Leadership Influence: Simple Collective Action or Conditional Explanations?” Political Research Quarterly 66 (3): 559–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mooney, Christopher Z. 2013. “Measuring State House Speakers’ Formal Powers, 1981–2010.” State Politics & Policy Quarterly 13 (2): 262–73.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murphy, Katy . 2017. “Universal Health Plan Would Save Californians $37 Billion Annually, Study Says.” The Mercury News, May 31. https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/05/31/universal-health-plan-would-save-californians-37-billion-and-cover-more-people-study-finds/.Google Scholar
Newman, Stacey . 2016. “2016 Legislative Session=Over.” Stacey Newman. https://web.archive.org/web/20161104182208/ http://staceynewman.com/2016/06/13/2016-legislative-session-over/.Google Scholar
Nicholson-Crotty, Jill, Miller, Susan M. 2012. “Bureaucratic Effectiveness and Influence in the Legislature.” Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 22 (2): 347–371.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O’Neil, Tim . 2016. “New Missouri Gun Law Changes the Rules, but Some Restrictions Remain.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 16. http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/new-missouri-gun-law-changes-the-rules-but-some-restrictions/article_52cae4d3-310c-5c89-a55e-007ec99fefbf.html.Google Scholar
Packenham, Robert A. 1970. “Legislatures and Political Development.” In Legislatures in Developmental Perspective, eds. Kornberg, Allan, Musolf, Lloyd D. Durham: Duke University Press, 521–82.Google Scholar
Ranney, Austin . 1976. “Parties in State Politics.” In Politics in the American States: A Comparative Analysis (3rd Edition), eds. Jacobs, Herbert, Vines, Kenneth N. Boston: Little, Brown.Google Scholar
Richman, Jesse. 2010. “The Logic of Legislative Leadership: Preferences, Challenges, and the Speaker’s Powers.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 35 (2): 211–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rohde, David. 1991. Parties and Leaders in the Postreform House. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sarbaugh-Thompson, Marjorie. 2010. “Measuring ’Term Limitedness’ in U.S. Multi-State Research.” State Politics and Policy Quarterly 10 (2): 199–217.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sarbaugh-Thompson, Marjorie, Thompson, Lyke, Elder, Charles D., Commins, Meg, Elling, Richard C., Strate, John . 2006. “Democracy among Strangers: Term Limits’ Effects on Relationships between State Legislators in Michigan.” State Politics and Policy Quarterly 6:384–409.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sinclair, Barbara. 1989. Unorthodox Lawmaking: New Legislative Processes in the US Congress. SAGE.Google Scholar
Smith, Steven S. 2000. “Positive Theories of Congressional Parties.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 25:193–215.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Soffen, Kim. 2017. “Single-Payer Would Drastically Change Health Care in America. Here’s How It Works.” The Washington Post, October 17. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/national/single-payer-explainer/?utm_term=.939b9673b79a.Google Scholar
Squire, Peverill . 2007. “Measuring Legislative Professionalism: The Squire Index Revisited.” State Politics and Policy Quarterly 7 (2): 211–27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Squire, Peverill, Hamm, Keith E. 2005. 101 Chambers: Congress, State Legislatures, and the Future of Legislative Studies. Columbus: Ohio State University Press.Google Scholar
White, Jeremy . 2016. “Speaker Rendon Names New California Assembly Committee Chairs.” The Sacramento Bee, March 10. https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article65286887.html.Google Scholar
Wright, Gerald C. 2007. “Do Term Limits Affect Legislative Roll Call Voting? Representation, Polarization, and Participation.” State Politics and Policy Quarterly 7:256–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Supplementary material: PDF

Shay supplementary material

Appendix

Download Shay supplementary material(PDF)
PDF 194.1 KB