The Failure of Term Limits in Florida assesses the impact of term limitations on Florida’s state legislature and provides the theory and history behind the term limits movement. This book argues term limits have not provided the panacea that proponents claimed. Legislative tenure has been decimated and legislative experience cut deeply since term limits took effect in 2000. Forced turnover has facilitated more competition but only when a seat initially opens. Term limits have not dramatically increased the number of women and minorities elected to office as proponents envisioned. Politicians e ... More

The Failure of Term Limits in Florida assesses the impact of term limitations on Florida’s state legislature and provides the theory and history behind the term limits movement. This book argues term limits have not provided the panacea that proponents claimed. Legislative tenure has been decimated and legislative experience cut deeply since term limits took effect in 2000. Forced turnover has facilitated more competition but only when a seat initially opens. Term limits have not dramatically increased the number of women and minorities elected to office as proponents envisioned. Politicians elected under term limits are shown to have significant elective experience coming into the Legislature and continue to vie for elected positions when they exit, certainly not the “citizen” legislators proponents preferred. Legislative process knowledge is not the important criteria for leadership selection under term limits; the ability to fundraise and campaign for fellow party members is now the key criterion. The Senate has become the repository of institutional memory and gained an advantage over the less experienced House. The legislative branch is severely weakened under term limits with the governor, staff, and lobbyists filling the void. While term limits remain a popular idea in Florida, the effect on the legislative institution has not been a positive one.