ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 10, 1996 TAG: 9603110126
SECTION: BOOKS PAGE: F-4 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: BOOK REVIEW
SOURCE: REVIEWED BY DAN FREI
GIVING UP ON DEMOCRACY: Why Term Limits Are Bad for America. By Victor Kamber. Regenery. $24.95.
This book presents all the arguments you are likely to hear in the coming national election cycle in opposition to congressional term limits. Brace yourselves, for the arguments are many and persuasive.
Arguing that term limits are, in essence, a limitation on democracy, Victor Kamber soberly and comprehensively makes the case that a constitutional amendment establishing term limits would be a very big mistake. Kamber argues instead that campaign and political reforms, rather than congressional term limits, would have more impact on putting Congress back in touch with the people it represents.
The idea of term limits has a long history in American government. Term limits were included in the Articles of Confederation, but when the Constitution was drafted, term limits were not included. James Madison argued that effective legislators should be returned to office frequently. The framers "believed that frequent elections were a form of natural term limits."
It is this self-imposed natural term limitation that Kamber argues is best for democracy in America. Moreover, term limits dilutes the pool of experience in Congress. As Alexander Hamilton noted, "rotation deprives the polity of experienced public servants. That experience is the parent of wisdom."
Additionally, Kamber argues that, with term limits, Congress will become weaker relative to the presidency. "The seniority system will be virtually abolished and committees turned from workshops of legislation into assembly lines of bad laws." "Fortunately," writes Kamber citing the cases of Watergate and Iran-Contra, "Congress was strong enough to control a renegade executive. But a term-limited Congress would lose much of this power."
Kamber argues that term limits will reduce the profession of public service to that of a hobby, and since there are no term limits for lobbyists, bureaucrats, journalists or staff people, the voice of experience in our government would shift from our elected representatives to those influenced by or beholden to special interests or the bureaucracy.
Term limits would also set up a revolving door system where, in the final phase of a limited term, the elected official may look our for his or her own future interests and may pay less attention to the interests of the nation's future. Members of Congress would be likely to cultivate a relationship with those who can help them after their terms expire. "Congress will become vocational training for future lobbyists."
Kamber furthers his argument by detailing term-limit experiments in state legislatures and some municipalities. Since 1990, 23 states have sought to impose term limits on members of Congress. "To date, no state or federal court has upheld any of these laws."
Kamber calls for a national conversation on term limits. "So far, the debate over term limits has been remarkably one-sided." This book, to again quote from it, "is an attempt to meet those arguments and make the debate more balanced."
Dan Frei is owner of Dan Frei Communications.
LENGTH: Medium: 62 linesby CNB