Margaret Chase Smith Library

Luncheon Speech

Term limits was the topic of discussion by luncheon speaker Dr. Matthew Moen of the University of Maine, Orono during the 2001 Maine Town Meeting. The term-limit movement aspired to: alter party strength, aid the minority party by disproportionately forcing out majority-party incumbents; cause members to retire voluntarily in advance of being forced out, partly to avoid the stigma of being forced out; and open up more opportunities for minorities and women by forcing out white, male incumbents. What has happened, however, is that the faces in the legislature have changed but the partisan and demographic profile has remained unchanged. The "institutional" effects of term limits are demonstrable, says Moen. "The workload has increased. The institutional experience has dropped dramatically, especially among leaders. The term-limit movement seems to have run its course. We can change legislatures around, and sometimes we should, but we must always take care to respect and even nurture them, as odd as that sounds in this cynical era, for they lie at the very heart of representative government."