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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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Articles 1 - 5 of 5
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Term Limits, The Standing Committees, And Institutional Response, Matthew C. Moen, Kenneth Palmer
Term Limits, The Standing Committees, And Institutional Response, Matthew C. Moen, Kenneth Palmer
Maine Policy Review
Through citizen initiative in 1993, Maine passed a term limits bill that now prevents legislators with eight years of consecutive service from seeking reelection. Although touted as a means of eliminating careerism in public service and as a means of bringing fresh blood and new policy initiative to Augusta, many now question whether limits on service have hampered legislative efficiency through the loss of experienced leadership and institutional memory. Moen and Palmer examine the impact of term limits on the legislature’s standing committees. While noting adverse impacts such as heavier workloads, they also find an institution hard at work to …
Gubernatorial Power And The Struggle For Executive Efficiency In Twentieth Century Maine, Paul H. Mills
Gubernatorial Power And The Struggle For Executive Efficiency In Twentieth Century Maine, Paul H. Mills
Maine Policy Review
In this commentary, Paul Mills discusses the balance between the executive and legislative branches of Maine state government in the twentieth century, noting that from 1986 to the time of the writing of this commentary (2002), the state’s governors have had a different political affiliation than the legislatures elected to serve with them. He remarks that even as the mechanics of government have become more efficient through reforms, Maine people have created and enforced a system that puts the governor and legislature at odds, hampering their ability to move forward.
Maine Code Of Election Ethics, Gregory P. Gallant
Maine Code Of Election Ethics, Gregory P. Gallant
Maine Policy Review
In the Margaret Chase Smith Essay, Gregory Gallant discusses the voluntary Maine Code of Election Ethics, sponsored and organized by the University of Maine’s Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center and the Margaret Chase Smith Library in Skowhegan. The code is a voluntary effort designed to elevate political discourse in Maine’s federal and gubernatorial elections. Gallant reflects on the ways in which this code reinforces Margaret Chase Smith’s recognition of the critical role played by civic engagement in American society.
The Perils Of Voice And The Desire For Stealth Democracy, Elizabeth Theiss-Morse
The Perils Of Voice And The Desire For Stealth Democracy, Elizabeth Theiss-Morse
Maine Policy Review
This article is an address given at the May 2002 Maine Town Meeting sponsored by the Margaret Chase Smith Library in Skowhegan. Elizabeth Theiss-Morse takes issue with each of the alleged beneficial effects of increased participation and deliberation in politics. She presents evidence from her own research with colleague John Hibbing that suggests a more participatory democracy does not necessarily result in better decisions, a better political system or better people. Rather, most Americans would prefer not to have to participate in politics at all. Theiss-Morse explains where this view comes from and, in the end, argues for a civic …
The Project Of Democracy, Alexander Keyssar
The Project Of Democracy, Alexander Keyssar
Maine Policy Review
This article is an address given at the May 2002 Maine Town Meeting sponsored by the Margaret Chase Smith Library in Skowhegan. Alexander Keyssar chronicles the advances and contractions of democratic political rights in American history. While on balance, this is a story of progress, it is not, Keyssar argues, unilinear, nor one that is completed. Although arguably late for the world’s “greatest democracy,” by the 1970s the United States had achieved universal suffrage. Today, however, the tug between democratic and anti-democratic forces continues. The contest is no longer over voting rights but over the procedures and rules governing elections …