Term limits alone do not cause legislators to shirk their duties—the actual results are far more complicated

A number of U.S. states currently impose some form of legislative term limits in order to ensure competition and accountability among elected officials. However, some argue that term limits actually make legislators less responsible to their constituents, causing them to abstain from more votes and shirk their duties. Jennifer Hayes Clark and R. Lucas Williams argue that the willingness to shirk depends more on future career goals and the type of vote rather than term limits alone.