Other states outperform Michigan on many metrics, including economy, education, and infrastructure. According to the May 2023 report “Michigan’s Path to a Prosperous Future” published by the Citizen Research Council, Michigan currently ranks in the bottom third of the nation’s rankings, with a 34th place, 36th place in K-12 education outcomes, and 39th place in health outcomes.
The report also notes that the state is losing political influence due to out-migration, with seats in the U.S. House of Representatives falling from 19 in 1970 to 13 today, and the state having to redistrict. He pointed out that he was in a disadvantageous position.
The Michigan State University report, “Michigan at a Crossroads,” said the state’s redistricting efforts are increasingly limiting the number of competitive congressional districts for both political parties. As a result, legislators are increasingly winning and losing seats in primaries. This effect is forcing candidates of both parties to increasingly move toward the stronger beliefs of their political bases, as taking more moderate positions is more likely to jeopardize primaries. . This political environment further reduces the dissemination of expertise and reduces incentives for bipartisan approaches to policy challenges. Redistricting is not the only issue negatively impacting Michigan.
Among the challenges and opportunities identified in “Michigan’s Path to a Prosperous Future” is what it calls the political divisions that have long plagued the state. Lansing has many good ideas about how to improve Michigan’s many shortcomings, but public debate means these ideas are either not implemented or efforts are abandoned as political winds change. became.
Michigan Chamber of Commerce President Jim Holcomb agrees. In an article written by Paul Natinski and published in Chaldean News, Holcomb also said that Michigan’s unstable political climate is a major barrier to improving the state’s living and working conditions. It pointed out.
“We are so polarized in Michigan that we need to get past elections, we need to get past vitriolic debates, we need to look at civility in society and politics, we need to look at complex issues that drive passion. We need to have a serious discussion.” Holcomb said: Term limits were found to be part of the reason for the indecision.
The MSU report examined the unintended political consequences of Congressional approval of term limits in 1992. According to the MSU report, this change reduces the opportunities and incentives for camaraderie among members, especially those of opposing parties, resulting in a loss of expertise by members, replaced by career lobbyists and Empowering unelected staff, legislators had to constantly consider how their actions would affect their re-election and employment prospects as their terms expired.
The Citizen Research Council’s May 8 report, “Assessing the Impact of Term Limits on the Michigan Legislature,” found that term limits in the state Legislature make it difficult for state legislators, particularly members of the House of Representatives, to extend their terms to another office. He says he has come to see it as a stepping stone. Term limits have failed to strengthen ties between legislators and their districts or break cozy ties with lobbyists. They weakened the relationship between the legislative and executive branches.
The report went on to say that the main problem is not with term limits, but with the fact that of the 15 states with term limits, Michigan has the shortest and strictest term limits. Longer tenures would also help, as would improving the redistricting process and reforming the primary system.
Michigan’s primary system isn’t the only thing in need of reform. Financing methods and the role of super PACS and underground finance are also under increasing scrutiny.
In the next article in this series, we’ll look at special interest groups and their influence on bills introduced in the Michigan Legislature.